Francisco Javier López Peña
| Francisco Javier López Peña | |
|---|---|
| Born |
February 14, 1958 Galdácano Biscay, Spain |
| Status | Awaiting trial |
| Died |
30 March 2013 (aged 55) Paris, France |
| Other names | Thierry |
| Known for | Military Chief |
| Term | 1991 - 2008 |
| Political party | ETA |
Francisco Javier López Peña alias Thierry (14 February 1958 – 30 March 2013) was an ETA member. He headed the political leadership of the group. On 20 May 2008, López Peña was arrested in Bordeaux, France during a joint operation between French and Spanish police officials.
López Peña was on the run from law enforcement since 1983. On March 18, 1991, following the arrest of Jesus Arcauz Arana ("Josu of Mondragon") in Biarritz, France, the leader of the military apparatus of ETA, López Peña moved into the upper echelons of ETA's leadership.
In 2006, he was said to be responsible for calling off the negotiations with the Spanish government by ordering the Barajas Airport bombing on December 30, 2006. In this regard, López Peña has been usually described as hawkish.
Furthermore, the recent spate of attacks in early 2008 and the killing of a Civil Guard member was supposed to have occurred at Lopen Peña's behest.
López Peña's first tryst with the law occurred on February 14, 1983 when he was arrested in Bayonne, France. He was charged with criminal conspiracy and sent to prison.
On July 8, 2005 he was sentenced, in absentia, by the Correctional Tribunal of Paris (France) to 8 years' imprisonment for criminal conspiracy.
On February 5, 2007 Central Examining Court No. 5 of the National High Court ordered his search, arrest and incarceration in prison for collaboration with terrorist or armed bands.
On his arrest on May 20, 2008 López Peña was in a Bordeaux apartment with three other ETA members, including Ainhoa Ozaeta Mendiondo, Igor Suberbiola and Jon Salaberria . They were reported to have not having resisted arrest. When police raided the flat in Bouscat, which had been under surveillance for a week, they found two handguns, a homemade rocket-launcher and several detonators which were seized. In all there were six arrests including Angel Arrauzpide-Cruz, considered by police to be the head of an ETA reservist cell, and a former mayor of a Basque city arrested earlier in the year, who is said to have led police to López Peña.
On May 26, 2008, López Peña along with four others arrested in the same week were remanded to a court in Paris. The group are expected to be placed under judicial investigation for "criminal association with a terrorist organization."
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Wikipedia