ETA prisoners semi‑liberty legal disputes

In late July 2026 the Basque regional justice authority reinstated semi‑liberty for two ETA members – Juan Ramón Carasatorre and Alberto López de la Calle – after a prior grant had been revoked by the Central Penitentiary Surveillance Court and upheld by the Audiencia Nacional. The regional government’s new proposal sparked criticism from victims’ groups.

A week later the Audiencia Nacional’s prison‑surveillance court, chaired by Judge José Luis Castro, overturned the third‑degree semi‑liberty previously granted to two other ETA convicts, Juan Antonio Olarra Guridi and Oskar Celarain. The court ruled that the legal criteria for early release had not been satisfied, citing the need for a longer period of verified positive behaviour in cases involving extreme terrorist violence. The revocations delay any licensing until at least 2032 for Celarain and 2036 for Olarra, reinforcing the tension between the Basque government’s attempts to grant early liberty and the national judiciary’s stricter standards.

Together, these rulings illustrate an ongoing contest over the application of article 100.2 of the penitentiary regulations, with regional authorities seeking to ease restrictions for ETA prisoners while the national courts impose tighter safeguards, amid continued opposition from victims’ associations.