Introduction

This paper is part of a research Project, “Limitations of freedom in the terrorism procedure”, financed by the Spanish Science Ministry, Ref: DER 2008-06178.

‘ETA is weaker now than ever before in the history of our democracy. We are closer to see the end of ETA, but it is not going to happen overnight […] the countdown has begun.’ So spoke the President of the Spanish government, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero in an interview published in the newspaper El País on 21 November 2010.

The creation of the organisation Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA) in 1959 went largely unnoticed by the security forces of the state. The insurrection activities of the group were initially minor and made little impact, until 1968 when the first armed confrontation took place, resulting in the deaths of an officer of the Spanish Civil Guard (Guardia Civil) and one ETA militant.

According to the Spanish Home Office, the officer killed in this attack represents the first fatal victim of ETA ( ...