Basque police arrest Abertzale Left militant Urtza Alkorta

About three hundred police officers took part on Wednesday morning in the arrest of Urtza Alkorta, a Basque nationalist left-wing militant sentenced to five years in prison for collaboration with the armed group ETA.

About two hundred supporters of Urtza Alkorta had set up camp at the fishing port of Ondarroa, where the Basque activist was waiting to be arrested following a Supreme Court ruling.

Police attended the fishing bridge of Ondarroa early Wednesday in order to execute the arrest warrant. They were joined by a small group of journalists.

When neighbouring residents and members of the nationalist movement Abertzale Left became aware of the presence of police cars, they sat on the floor of a bridge in order to obstruct the arrest, by forming a human barrier around Alkorta.

Police proceeded to remove protesters from the human wall one by one before arresting the Basque militant.

A ruling by Spain's Audiencia Nacional court sentenced Alkorta to five years in prison for collaboration with the armed Basque group ETA. The Supreme Court, one of the highest in the country, confirmed the ruling and ordered the Basque militant to report to prison within the next ten days. Alkorta has been wanted ever since. She claims the only evidence against her was achieved under torture.