Arkaitz Goikoetxea
Encyclopedia
Arkaitz Goikoetxea Basabe (born May 4, 1980) 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. He was arrested several times between 2001 and 2002, and joined ETA in 2005.
Along with Jurdan Martitegi
, Goikoetxea led the most active cell of the organisation after the end of the 2006 ceasefire
. He is accused of participating in several attacks in the province of Biscay
between 2007 and 2008, and was arrested in July 2008, when the whole cell was dismantled. He has been imprisoned since then.
, Biscay
, although some sources state he was born in Barakaldo
. His brother Zigor has been arrested several times for street violence attacks and was jailed in 2008 for death threats against a Partido Popular
councilour of Getxo. He was released in 2009. Goikoetxea's parents home in Getxo was attacked and set on fire on July 17, 2009. Spanish nationalist
organisation Falange y Tradición claimed responsibility for the attack, which left no injuries.
police officers raided his home in connection with these attacks on May 3, 1998. He was not arrested and five days later he presented himself at the Spanish National High Court
in Madrid
, and was set free. On April 1, 2000 he suffered hand amputation
while preparing an explosive device, and was admitted to hospital under arrest and later released. He was arrested by the National Police Corps on March 20, 2001, being accused of setting fire
to a post office
in Berango
in 1997. He was released as he was still a minor when the attack occurred. He was once again arrested twice in late 2002, for participating in bomb attacks against Civil Guard
barracks in Algorta
and Galdakao
. In 2004, he went on trial and acquitted on taking part in a molotov cocktail
attack in Amorebieta
in 1998. Goikoetxea was also accused of participating in a molotov cocktail attack against two Ertzaintza officers in Portugalete
on August 5, 2001 and failed to show up in court on May 5, 2005. He fled to France
and became a member of ETA
.
attack against a Civil Guard
barracks in Durango
on August 24, which left two police officers injured. This was ETA's first attack after the end of the ceasefire in June. In late 2007 and early 2008, Goikoetxea and the Biscay cell, carried out several attacks around the Basque Country
, targeting courthouse
s or political offices. In 2008, Goikoetxea placed three car bombs: in Calahorra
, La Rioja
on March 21, in Legutiano, Álava
, which killed a Civil Guard on May 14 and in Getxo on May 19
. He was at first believed to be the killer of Isaías Carrasco
.
. Most of the cell members were also arrested, and the cell was dismantled. The operation was led by judge Baltasar Garzón
. On the following days, Goikoetxea led Civil Guards officers to an ETA arm cache with 125 kg of explosive devices in Santo Domingo de la Calzada
, La Rioja.
On December 4, 2008 Goikoetxea appeared on the National High Court for the 2001 Portugalete attack, and on February 2, he was charged with attempt to kill two officers and was sentenced to 22 years of jail. On November 23, 2010 the trial for the Leguatiano attack was held, with Goikoetxea facing 534 years and six months of jail for "terrorist assassination, 26 attempts of assassination, terrorist ravages and car stealing".
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 began his violent activity at the age of 15 as a member of the street violence groups
Kale 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....
known as kale borroka. He was arrested several times between 2001 and 2002, and joined ETA in 2005.
Along with Jurdan Martitegi
Jurdan Martitegi
Jurdan Martitegi Lizaso is a member of the armed Basque nationalist and separatist group Euskadi Ta Askatasuna . 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...
, Goikoetxea led the most active cell of the organisation after the end of the 2006 ceasefire
ETA'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...
. He is accused of participating in several attacks in the province of Biscay
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...
between 2007 and 2008, and was arrested in July 2008, when the whole cell was dismantled. He has been imprisoned since then.
Militancy
Goikoetxea was born in the town of GetxoGetxo
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...
, Biscay
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...
, although some sources state he was born in Barakaldo
Barakaldo
Barakaldo , is a municipality in the Basque Country in Spain. It is located in the Biscay province, administratively included in the "Basque Autonomous Community", on the left bank of the Estuary of Bilbao.Barakaldo is part of Bilbao's metropolitan area , and its official population...
. His brother Zigor has been arrested several times for street violence attacks and was jailed in 2008 for death threats against a Partido Popular
People's Party (Spain)
The People's Party is a conservative political party in Spain.The People's Party was a re-foundation in 1989 of the People's Alliance , a party led and founded by Manuel Fraga Iribarne, a former Minister of Tourism during Francisco Franco's dictatorship...
councilour of Getxo. He was released in 2009. Goikoetxea's parents home in Getxo was attacked and set on fire on July 17, 2009. Spanish nationalist
Spanish nationalism
Spanish nationalism is the social, political and ideological movement which has shaped Spain's national identity since the 19th century.Spanish nationalism is not an irredentist nationalism per se, the only territorial revindication identified as actually being "national" as such having been...
organisation Falange y Tradición claimed responsibility for the attack, which left no injuries.
Kale borroka
Having started his kale borroka activity in 1995, ErtzaintzaErtzaintza
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 officers raided his home in connection with these attacks on May 3, 1998. He was not arrested and five days later he presented himself at the Spanish National High Court
Audiencia Nacional of Spain
The Audiencia Nacional is a a special and exceptional high court in Spain. It has its seat in Madrid and jurisdiction over all of Spain and international crimes which come under the competence of Spanish courts....
in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, and was set free. On April 1, 2000 he suffered hand amputation
Amputation
Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma, prolonged constriction, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on individuals as a preventative surgery for...
while preparing an explosive device, and was admitted to hospital under arrest and later released. He was arrested by the National Police Corps on March 20, 2001, being accused of setting fire
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
to a post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
in Berango
Berango
Berango is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, Basque Country-External links:*...
in 1997. He was released as he was still a minor when the attack occurred. He was once again arrested twice in late 2002, for participating in bomb attacks against Civil Guard
Civil Guard
The Civil Guard , often abbreviated in Hebrew to Mash'az is a volunteer organization of Israeli citizens which assists in daily police work. It is a subdivision of the Israel Police.-Organization:...
barracks in Algorta
Algorta
Algorta is a locality within the municipality of Getxo, in the province of Biscay, Basque Country, Spain. In 1996, the population of Algorta was 35,600....
and 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 2004, he went on trial and acquitted on taking part in a molotov cocktail
Molotov cocktail
The Molotov cocktail, also known as the petrol bomb, gasoline bomb, Molotov bomb, fire bottle, fire bomb, or simply Molotov, is a generic name used for a variety of improvised incendiary weapons...
attack in Amorebieta
Amorebieta-Etxano
Amorebieta-Etxano or Zornotza are two different names for the same town and municipality located in Biscay in the Basque Country, an Autonomous Community in northern Spain. Athletic Bilbao defender Xabier Etxeita was born in Zornotza, as is Beñat Intxausti, a professional cyclist.-External links:*...
in 1998. Goikoetxea was also accused of participating in a molotov cocktail attack against two Ertzaintza officers in Portugalete
Portugalete
Portugalete is a town lying to the west of Bilbao in the province of Biscay in the Autonomous Community of Basque Country, northern Spain.The town has 51,066 inhabitants and is part of Bilbao's metropolitan area. It is located at the mouth of the Estuary of Bilbao, on the left bank...
on August 5, 2001 and failed to show up in court on May 5, 2005. He fled to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and became a member of 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...
.
ETA activity
Goikoetxea started his activities in ETA in 2005. Two years later, Txeroki ordered him and Jurdan Martitegi to form a new cell in Biscay. The cell, named Askatasun Haizea, was created in February 2007, when ETA was still officially on a ceasefire. The first attack in which Goikoetxea participated was a car bombCar bomb
A car bomb, or truck bomb also known as a Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device , is an improvised explosive device placed in a car or other vehicle and then detonated. It is commonly used as a weapon of assassination, terrorism, or guerrilla warfare, to kill the occupants of the vehicle,...
attack against a Civil Guard
Civil Guard (Spain)
The Civil Guard is the Spanish gendarmerie. It has foreign peace-keeping missions and maintains military status and is the equivalent of a federal military-status police force. As a police force, the Guardia Civil is comparable today to the French Gendarmerie, the Italian Carabinieri and the...
barracks in 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...
on August 24, which left two police officers injured. This was ETA's first attack after the end of the ceasefire in June. In late 2007 and early 2008, Goikoetxea and the Biscay cell, carried out several attacks around the Basque Country
Basque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
, targeting courthouse
Courthouse
A courthouse is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English speaking countries, buildings which house courts of law are simply...
s or political offices. In 2008, Goikoetxea placed three car bombs: 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:...
, La Rioja
La Rioja (Spain)
La Rioja is an autonomous community and a province of northern Spain. Its capital is Logroño. Other cities and towns in the province include Calahorra, Arnedo, Alfaro, Haro, Santo Domingo de la Calzada, and Nájera.-History:...
on March 21, in 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 a Civil Guard on May 14 and in Getxo on May 19
2008 Getxo bombing
The 2008 Getxo bombing occurred on May 19, 2008, when a van bomb went off outside a boat club in the town of Getxo, Biscay in the Basque Country, Spain. The attack caused serious damage to the club, as well as nearby buildings and structures. No one was killed or injured after a warning call from...
. He was at first believed to be the killer of 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....
.
Arrest and trials
On July 22, 2008, Civil Guard members arrested Goikoetxea in his home of BilbaoBilbao
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...
. Most of the cell members were also arrested, and the cell was dismantled. The operation was led by judge 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...
. On the following days, Goikoetxea led Civil Guards officers to an ETA arm cache with 125 kg of explosive devices in Santo Domingo de la Calzada
Santo Domingo de la Calzada
Santo Domingo de la Calzada is a municipality in La Rioja, Spain, situated on the banks of the Oja River. Its name refers to its founder, Dominic de la Calzada, who built a bridge, hospital, and hotel here for pilgrims on the Way of St. James. The town's Cathedral of Santo Domingo de la Calzada...
, La Rioja.
On December 4, 2008 Goikoetxea appeared on the National High Court for the 2001 Portugalete attack, and on February 2, he was charged with attempt to kill two officers and was sentenced to 22 years of jail. On November 23, 2010 the trial for the Leguatiano attack was held, with Goikoetxea facing 534 years and six months of jail for "terrorist assassination, 26 attempts of assassination, terrorist ravages and car stealing".
Attacks
Goikoetxea is believed to have participated in the following attacks:- August 24, 2007: A van bomb loaded with 100 kg of explosives goes off in a Civil Guard barracks in Durango, Biscay, injuring 2 Civil Guard officers.
- September 24, 2007: A 5 kg bomb explodes in front of an Ertzaintza police station in ZarautzZarautzZarautz is a coastal town located in the province of Gipuzkoa, in the Basque Country, northern Spain.The town is a popular tourist destination with the population swelling from its usual 22,812 to around 60,000 in summer. The Palace of Narros, located adjacent to Zarautz's 2.8 km long beach,...
, Gipuzkoa. No one was injured - November 11, 2007: Two bombs fail to go off in a courthouse in Zarautz. Two police officers were later wounded when manipulating the bombs.
- December 24, 2007: A bomb explodes in front of a Socialist party office in BalmasedaBalmasedaBalmaseda is a town in the Encartaciones region of Biscay in the Spanish Basque Country....
, Biscay. No one was injured - February 29, 2008: A bomb explodes in a Socialist party office in the town of DerioDerioDerio is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain. It's part of Greater Bilbao and was part of the municipality of Bilbao until 1983 and hosts Bilbao's biggest municipal cemetery. It has a population of 5,107 .-External...
, Biscay. No one was injured - March 21, 2008: A car bomb explodes outside a Civil Guard barracks in Calahorra, La Rioja, injuring three.
- May 14: A van bomb explodes in a Civil Guard barracks in Legutiano, Alava, killing one policeman and injuring 4.
- May 19, 2008: A car bomb2008 Getxo bombingThe 2008 Getxo bombing occurred on May 19, 2008, when a van bomb went off outside a boat club in the town of Getxo, Biscay in the Basque Country, Spain. The attack caused serious damage to the club, as well as nearby buildings and structures. No one was killed or injured after a warning call from...
explodes in Getxo. A boat club suffered great damage, but no one was injured.
See also
- Miguel de Garikoitz Aspiazu RubinaMiguel de Garikoitz Aspiazu RubinaMiguel 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:...
, head of the military unit at the time Goikoetxea was in ETA - Francisco Javier López PeñaFrancisco Javier Lopez PenaFrancisco Javier López Peña alias Thierry, is an ETA member. He headed the political leadership of the group. On the 20th of May, 2008, López Peña was arrested in Bordeaux, France during a joint operation between French and Spanish police officials.-ETA activity:López Peña has been on the run from...
, political chief of ETA between 2004 and 2008