In a statement on 21 October Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland responded to ETA´s announcement of an end to violent actions:

“I agree with Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero´s statement that this is a victory for democracy. ETA´s announcement shows that terrorism can never win. A society where terror is present cannot be free, and Spain has suffered the tragic consequences of terrorist violence for far too long.

I would like to honour the memory of the many victims in Spain and France and their families, who have endured so much suffering in the last decades. I also wish to express my support to Spanish society and the authorities, which have upheld the principles of democracy and the rule of law against horror.” (more...)