40 years have passed since the attack on the Monbar Hotel in Baiona, the bloodiest by the GAL
Four people were shot dead and one fifth injured. Years later, the perpetrators of the murder, two mercenaries from Marseille, were tried. During the trial, the Spanish state secret services confessed to hiring them, but this investigation was closed for lack of evidence.
This Thursday, September 25, marks the 40th anniversary of the attack on the Monbar Hotel in Baiona , thebloodiest by the GAL, killing four people and wounding a fifth.
Agustín Irazustabarrena Urruzola, Inaxio Asteasuinzarra Pagola and Jose Mari Etxaniz Maiztegi died in the same place. Sabin Etxaide Ibargurendied a few hours later in the hospital in Baiona.
Jean Iriart was also injured in the attack. Police found 15 nine-millimeter bullet casings at the scene.
The murderers ran away, but several villagers followed them and managed to stop and arrest two of them.
GAL admitted responsibility for the attack. ETA, for its part, issued a statement confirming that the four dead were part of the command.
The following days were tense. The presence of the police was evident both in the transfer of the bodies to Gipuzkoa and in the funerals and burials held in their native towns (Astigarraga, Hernani, Urretxu, and Zestoa).
The trial of the two detainees took place in 1989. Lucien Mattei and Pierre Frugoli were mercenaries from Marseille and during the trial they confessed that they had been hired by the Spanish secret service and were sentenced to life imprisonment.
In connection with this statement, former police officers José Amedo and Michel Domínguez were investigated, but in 1991 the case was closed on the grounds that there was insufficient evidence. In 1995, Judge Baltasar Garzón of the National High Court decided to reopen the investigation.
Exhibition of Gogora
To commemorate the anniversary, the Memory, Coexistence and Human Rights Institute will next Monday, September 29, open an exhibition on the attack at the Monbar Hotel at the Ernst Lluch cultural house in San Sebastian, which will remain open until October 20.
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