Jurdan Martitegi
Encyclopedia
Jurdan Martitegi Lizaso (born May 10, 1980 in Durango, Vizcaya
) is a member of the armed Basque nationalist and separatist group Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA
). He is best known as the head of the military/commando unit of the group since late 2008 until April 18, 2009, when he was arrested by French police. He is considered to be one of the most dangerous members of ETA, considered a terrorist organization by the European Union, with police describing him as "extremely violent".
He gained prominence in the military section of ETA by leading the 'commando Vizcaya' (Biscay Command) after the 2006 cesasfire along with Arkaitz Goikoetxea
and rose to the highest level of ETA's military leadership following the December 2008 arrest of Aitzol Iriondo alias Gurbita who had replaced Miguel de Garikoitz Aspiazu Rubina
alias Txeroki, arrested less than a month before.
acts. On February 12, 1998 he presented himself in front of Baltasar Garzón
, after being accused of several street violence acts during 1997. He was shortly released but later accused of taking part in a molotov attack against a Ertzaintza
police station in Amorebieta. In 2000 he was arrested after attacking a concessionaire in Iurreta
and a bank and Guardia Civil barracks in Galdakao
, in which a policeman was wounded. He was arrested again on March 5, 2001 after placing an explosive at the Durango
courts and spent some time at the Alcalá Meco and Daroca
prisons.
and carried several attacks along with Arkaitz Goikoetxea, including the bombing of Civil Guard's cuartel in Durango on August 24, 2007, a bomb attack in front of a courthouse in Sestao
on December 16, 2007, a car bomb explosion outside a Guardia Civil barracks in Calahorra
, Rioja
on March 21, 2008 and a van bomb placed in front of a Guardia Civil barracks at Legutiano, Álava
, which killed one policeman, Juan Manuel Piñuel Villalón, and injured four. He is also believed to have carried a failed attack outside Getxo
courthouse on November 11, 2007. According to police he's the main suspect of killing Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
councilior Isaías Carrasco
on March 7, 2008 as eyewitnesses described the killer as a 'tall man', a description which fits with Martitegi's two meters height.
Jurdan Martitegi carried all of the attacks along with his fellow partner Arkaitz Goikoetxea, who was arrested on July 22, 2008 after Spanish police dismantled the Vizcaya cell. Martitegi was able to escape before police arrested nine other suspects.
Police reported that Martitegi and Txeroki had trained several ETA members of the Nafarroa cell in Hendaia during 2008. Four days after this cell was arrested, on October 30, ETA bombed the University of Navarra
, injuring up to twenty-one persons.
Since his work as a military chief ETA has already carried several attacks (see List of ETA attacks in 2009), including a the bombing of the Basque television in Bilbao
on December 31, 2008 and a van bomb in Madrid on February 8, 2009 which led police to think that ETA has established its first cell in Madrid for about six years.
In February 2009, El Confidencial revealed that police were afraid that Martitegi would try to carry a very big attack to vindicate himself to ETA leaders. Police also warned that ETA's goal was to kill ertzainas during the Basque elections
campaign.
Although he officially controlled all of ETA's cells, Martitegi had problems moving in public due to his high stature of more than 1.90 meters, which made him easily detectable.
Biscay
Biscay is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Biscay. Its capital city is Bilbao...
) is a member of the armed Basque nationalist and separatist group Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA
ETA
ETA , an acronym for Euskadi Ta Askatasuna is an armed Basque nationalist and separatist organization. The group was founded in 1959 and has since evolved from a group promoting traditional Basque culture to a paramilitary group with the goal of gaining independence for the Greater Basque Country...
). He is best known as the head of the military/commando unit of the group since late 2008 until April 18, 2009, when he was arrested by French police. He is considered to be one of the most dangerous members of ETA, considered a terrorist organization by the European Union, with police describing him as "extremely violent".
He gained prominence in the military section of ETA by leading the 'commando Vizcaya' (Biscay Command) after the 2006 cesasfire along with Arkaitz Goikoetxea
Arkaitz Goikoetxea
Arkaitz Goikoetxea Basabe is a member of the Basque separatist organisation ETA. He began his violent activity at the age of 15 as a member of the street violence groups known as kale borroka...
and rose to the highest level of ETA's military leadership following the December 2008 arrest of Aitzol Iriondo alias Gurbita who had replaced Miguel de Garikoitz Aspiazu Rubina
Miguel de Garikoitz Aspiazu Rubina
Miguel Garikoitz Aspiazu Rubina alias Txeroki is an ETA member. He headed the military/commando unit of the group until his arrest in France on November 16, 2008.-ETA activity:...
alias Txeroki, arrested less than a month before.
Kale borroka
Before joining ETA, Jurdan Martitegi had a wide record of kale borrokaKale borroka
Kale borroka refers to urban guerrilla actions carried out by Basque nationalist youth who are integrated into the abertzale left. Along with ETA, the kale borroka is the only remaining armed faction of Basque nationalists in the Basque Conflict....
acts. On February 12, 1998 he presented himself in front of Baltasar Garzón
Baltasar Garzón
Baltasar Garzón Real is a Spanish jurist who served on Spain's central criminal court, the Audiencia Nacional. He was the examining magistrate of the Juzgado Central de Instrucción No...
, after being accused of several street violence acts during 1997. He was shortly released but later accused of taking part in a molotov attack against a Ertzaintza
Ertzaintza
The Ertzaintza , is the police force of the Basque Country, one of the autonomous communities of Spain. An Ertzaintza member is an ertzaina .- Origins :...
police station in Amorebieta. In 2000 he was arrested after attacking a concessionaire in Iurreta
Iurreta
Iurreta is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain. Iurreta is home to Basque radio and television broadcaster Euskal Telebista....
and a bank and Guardia Civil barracks in Galdakao
Galdakao
Galdakao is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain.It is located in the Greater Bilbao, in the valley of the Ibaizabal river, near the Ganguren mountain range...
, in which a policeman was wounded. He was arrested again on March 5, 2001 after placing an explosive at the Durango
Durango
Durango officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Durango is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is located in Northwest Mexico. With a population of 1,632,934, it has Mexico's second-lowest population density, after Baja...
courts and spent some time at the Alcalá Meco and Daroca
Daroca
Daroca is a city and municipality in the province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain, situated to the south of the city of Zaragoza. It is the center of a judicial district....
prisons.
Comando member
Martitegi is believed to have joined ETA after he was released from prison. He left his Durango home in 2006 after he knew police were searching him. He joined the 'commando Vizcaya' after the 2006 ceasefireETA's 2006 ceasefire declaration
The ETA's 2006 "permanent ceasefire" was the period spanning between 24 March and 30 December 2006 during which, following an ETA communiqué, the Spanish government, led by José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero on one side, and the militant group on the other, engaged in talks as a means to agree on a...
and carried several attacks along with Arkaitz Goikoetxea, including the bombing of Civil Guard's cuartel in Durango on August 24, 2007, a bomb attack in front of a courthouse in Sestao
Sestao
Sestao is a town and municipality of 30,000 inhabitants located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain...
on December 16, 2007, a car bomb explosion outside a Guardia Civil barracks in Calahorra
Calahorra
Calahorra, , La Rioja, Spain is a municipality in the comarca of Rioja Baja, near the border with Navarre on the right bank of the Ebro. During ancient Roman times, Calahorra was a municipium known as Calagurris.-Location:...
, Rioja
Rioja
Rioja or La Rioja may refer to:Spain*Rioja, Almería*La Rioja , a province and autonomous community in northern Spain**Rioja , red and white wines from the province**La Rioja **University of La Rioja...
on March 21, 2008 and a van bomb placed in front of a Guardia Civil barracks at Legutiano, Álava
Álava
Álava is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Álava. Its capital city is Vitoria-Gasteiz which is also the capital of the autonomous community...
, which killed one policeman, Juan Manuel Piñuel Villalón, and injured four. He is also believed to have carried a failed attack outside Getxo
Getxo
Getxo is a town located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country, in the north of Spain.It is part of the metropolitan area of Bilbao , and has about 83,000 inhabitants...
courthouse on November 11, 2007. According to police he's the main suspect of killing Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party is a social-democratic political party in Spain. Its political position is Centre-left. The PSOE is the former ruling party of Spain, until beaten in the elections of November 2011 and the second oldest, exceeded only by the Partido Carlista, founded in...
councilior Isaías Carrasco
Isaías Carrasco
Isaías Carrasco was a Basque politician, affiliated with the PSE. He was shot dead when he left his house in Tolosa de Mondragón on March 7, 2008, two days ahead of general elections in Spain, in what is believed to be an attack by ETA....
on March 7, 2008 as eyewitnesses described the killer as a 'tall man', a description which fits with Martitegi's two meters height.
Jurdan Martitegi carried all of the attacks along with his fellow partner Arkaitz Goikoetxea, who was arrested on July 22, 2008 after Spanish police dismantled the Vizcaya cell. Martitegi was able to escape before police arrested nine other suspects.
Police reported that Martitegi and Txeroki had trained several ETA members of the Nafarroa cell in Hendaia during 2008. Four days after this cell was arrested, on October 30, ETA bombed the University of Navarra
University of Navarra
The University of Navarra is a private pontifical university based at the southeast border of Pamplona, Spain. It was founded in 1952 by St. Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer, the founder of Opus Dei as a corporate work of the apostolate of Opus Dei....
, injuring up to twenty-one persons.
Military chief
In early 2009, Spanish press revealed that ETA's current top leaders Juan Cruz Maiztegui Bengoa, 63, alias Pastor and José Luis Eciolaza Galán alias Dienteputo had entrusted Martitegi to quickly reorganize the commandos and make them ready to commit 'deadly attacks'. Some days later, Spanish police confirmed that ETA had restructured its commandos and that Martitegi would be leading them along with his lieutenant "Andoni Sarasola" and ETA member "Iurgi Mendinueta". Martitegi has already asked his commandos to carry quick attacks, always with car bombs.Since his work as a military chief ETA has already carried several attacks (see List of ETA attacks in 2009), including a the bombing of the Basque television in Bilbao
Bilbao
Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
on December 31, 2008 and a van bomb in Madrid on February 8, 2009 which led police to think that ETA has established its first cell in Madrid for about six years.
In February 2009, El Confidencial revealed that police were afraid that Martitegi would try to carry a very big attack to vindicate himself to ETA leaders. Police also warned that ETA's goal was to kill ertzainas during the Basque elections
Basque parliamentary election, 2009
Elections to the Basque regional parliament were held in the Basque Country on 1 March 2009.Shortly before the election, two parties reportedly tied to ETA – D3M and Askatasuna, "Freedom" – were banned by a court ruling from standing in the election.-Results:In stark contrast with the latest...
campaign.
Although he officially controlled all of ETA's cells, Martitegi had problems moving in public due to his high stature of more than 1.90 meters, which made him easily detectable.