ETA acknowledge "suffering and damage" caused by their attacks

Imprisoned members of Basque separatist group ETA say they recognise the “suffering and damage” caused by their actions.

In a statement given to regional newspaper Gara, the jailed members also said they recognise Spain’s criminal justice system.

Some 21 people were killed in ETA’s most deadly attack when they bombed a supermarket in 1987. More than 800 people have lost their lives in ETA attacks in the last four decades.

The group announced a ceasefire in October 2011. About 600 members are in Spanish prisons.

However, some of the relatives of their victims are sceptical about the intention behind the group’s statement. ETA’s change in attitude could allow some prisoners to gain early release or be transferred to facilities in the Basque region of the country, where they would prefer to carry out their sentences.