Stories from Vitoria-Gasteiz · Spain

The Basque government has granted third-degree prison status to Juan Carlos Iglesias Chousas, also known as Gadhafi. This decision follows a previous 2025 ruling that was subsequently annulled by a penitentiary surveillance judge. Iglesias Chousas is serving a long sentence for multiple murders, including the 1991 killing of Fabio Moreno. The announcement comes amid discussions regarding potential party actions against irregularities. Iglesias is currently serving a sentence of 1,120 years in prison for 15 murders. He was also involved in a failed attempt to assassinate King Juan Carlos. Terrorism victim associations have denounced the policy of granting such concessions.

The Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) announced the suspension of a meeting scheduled for tomorrow in the Basque Country. Socialist party members described the incident as part of habitual tensions between the two partners.

A witness recalled instances of parents assaulting teachers in the Basque Country during the 1980s. This occurred in a school with a population of recent Spanish immigrants, many Romani children, and individuals struggling with addiction. The witness noted that these assaults were often carried out by parents.

The PNV and PSE-EE parties in the Basque government are facing a negotiation crisis regarding the Public Employment Law. The disagreement centers on how to protect Euskera as a mandatory requirement in public job offers. The dispute involves the governing partners in the Basque region. No resolution has been reached on the specific legal protections for the language. Socialist leaders in Vitoria-Gasteiz claim these requirements create barriers to public sector access. The Basque Socialist Secretary General stated that the margin for agreement with the PNV has been exhausted. This follows a breakdown in consensus regarding a decree on linguistic profiles. The PNV proposal is criticized for potentially increasing administrative discretion. Political entities in the Basque region are discussing methods to protect the Euskera language.