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Spain: Basque nationalist leader leaves jail to a hero’s welcome

BASQUE nationalist leader Arnaldo Otegi received an enthusiastic welcome from supporters on his release from more than six years in prison yesterday.

The Sortu (Create) party general secretary walked free from jail in Logrono, where he had been held since 2009 for trying to rebuild banned separatist party Batasuna.

He was also prosecuted for glorifying terrorism by comparing a jailed member of armed group Eta to Nelson Mandela.

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