B4-0762, 0765, 0766 and 0816/95

Resolution on the kidnapping of Mr José María Aldaya Etxeburua by ETA

The European Parliament,

A.whereas on 8 May 1995 the ETA terrorist organization kidnapped the Basque industrialist José María Aldaya in Hondarribia (Guipúzcoa),

B.whereas the sole objective of such kidnappings is to bring in funds to allow the ETA terrorist organization to continue its criminal activities,

C.whereas this kidnapping constitutes an attempt to blackmail, coerce and terrorize the whole of Basque society and to undermine Spanish democracy,

1.Condemns in the strongest terms this kidnapping and the murders and other activities carried out by the ETA terrorist organization;

2.Demands that Mr Aldaya be freed forthwith;

3.Expresses its solidarity with his family and with all the victims of the violence;

4.Stresses the need for the institutions to be utterly resolute in combating terrorism and to step up cooperation at judicial and police level;

5.Urges pacifist organizations and the forces of democracy to continue to speak out and demonstrate against this inhuman act;

6.Expresses its support for the agreement on the normalization of the Basque country signed by all the democratic parties as a framework for bringing the violence to an end;

7.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and Commission, the governments of the Union, the Basque Government and to the Hondarribia and Irún local council.