The AN is judging ‘Txapote’ and ‘Amaia’ from today for the murder of PP councilor Manuel Zamarreño

Since this Wednesday, the National Court is judging the former leaders of the terrorist group ETA Javier García Gaztelu, alias ‘Txapote’, and Irantzu Gallastegi, alias ‘Amaia’, for the bomb murder of the PP councilor in Rentería (Guipúzcoa) Manuel Zamarreño. June 25, 1998, an attack that also caused injuries of varying degrees to an Ertzaintza bodyguard. The Prosecutor’s Office, as can be seen from its provisional conclusions, requests for each of them 120 years in prison for one crime of terrorist murder of a member of a local corporation, another of terrorist murder against an agent, two crimes of terrorist murder, one crime of possession, manufacture, transportation and placement of explosives and a crime of terrorist attacks. The Public Ministry points out that, after receiving “instructions from the terrorist group to kill members of the Popular Party,” both defendants set their sights on Zamarreño. “To carry out their murderous plan, they decided to place an explosive device on a motorcycle that they would park on public roads in a place close to the one they were traveling through, assuming the risk of affecting, not only property, but life. of third parties, and, especially, of the police officer who carried out escort duties for him,” he points out. The Prosecutor’s Office explains that the device that both defendants made “was placed in a cloth bag” that they “simulatedly placed” in the vehicle. It was that day in June 1998 when the terrorists activated it, causing the death of the then ‘popular’ leader and causing injuries to his bodyguard. It was in September 2022 when the National Court agreed to send the two former ETA heads to trial. It should be remembered that both ‘Txapote’ and his partner, ‘Amaia’, have been convicted by the National Court for their participation as members of the ‘Donosti commando’ in the kidnapping and crime of the PP councilor in Ermua Miguel Ángel Blanco in July 1997. EXTENSIVE CRIMINAL HISTORY The list of fatalities from ‘Txapote’ is completed by Alfonso Morcillo Calero, Mariano de Juan Santamaría, José Ignacio Iruretagoyena, José Luis López de la Calle, Jorge Díez Elorza, José Javier Múgica Astibia, Irene Fernández Perera, José Ángel by Jesús Encinas, Enrique Nieto Viyella and Máximo Casado Carrera; also for the attempted murder of Ramón Rabanera and José Ramón Recalde, as well as an attack against a nightclub. Gallastegui, for her part, is also sentenced to a cumulative sentence of 30 years. In her case, she entered prison on June 14, 2005 for the crimes of attacks and murders, possession of explosives, havoc and terrorist arson. She is scheduled to serve three-quarters in November of this year for killing Miguel Ángel Blanco, Fernando Múgica Herzog and José Ignacio Iruretagoyena.