Spain sentences ETA trio to nearly 4000 years in prison

Spanish judiciary has sentenced three members of the separatist movement ETA to up to 3,860 years behind bars for a callous bombing attack that wounded 160 people including 41 children. State Spanish Television said on Thursday the National Court sentenced the Eta trio, Daniel Pastor, Ingio Zapirain and Beatriz Etxebarria, to 3,860 years in prison after being convicted of a premeditated bid to kill 160 people and for a series of sabotage acts. The three ETA activists were convicted of blowing up a truck laden with more than 700 kilograms of explosives in front of the Civil National Guards in the northern city Borgus on July 29, 2009. The blast left more than 160 people wounded, including 41 children, and inflicted damage, worth euro 15 million. The extraordinary punishment was apparently intended to match ferocity of the attack that left scores of people including children seriously wounded. ETA declared, on October 20, 2011, total cessation of armed action and urged Spanish and French authorities to open dialogue with the organization to find a settlement to the strife. But the Madrid government urged the organization to voluntarily dissolve itself and hand over arms. The terror group has abstained from responding to the two demands and recurring arrests and raids on its leaders and hideouts have reportedly weakened it. The organization was founded in 1956 by a group of radical students advocating secession of the 20,000-sq-km Basque region from Spain. Up to 829 people have been killed in the violent campaign, waged by ETA against government and civil targets.