The problem is the sentence - if somebody kills somebody they should go to prison for life. Apart from this i think the Zapatero government is mocking all the spaniards with this and with all his policies. As a spaniard I think and I invite you to take to the streets of all spain and ask for the dimissal of our clown, oops.. prime minister. And please stop talking about the PP because they know how to run Spain, and it is common sense to condem the government's action, not just for the elections. The PP does not need that, because the Zapatero goverment is falling down without any help.

LUCAS, MADRID,

Two remarks: The GAL (The "death squads" refered in a previous comment) was organized not by the former government but by the former socialist government.
And lets call Spain a fascist third world country, if you may, for trying to combat, always within the democratic limits now, a terrorist band that has claimed the lives of more than 800 people and threatened many more.

Maria, Madrid, Spain

In response to Paul Bourne from Great Yarmouth.
Basques have a democratic vote every 4 years, own a parliament, rise their taxes and have their goverment a nationalist goverment, by the way. Democratic basques do not murder people like nationalists do.
The only real fascists in Spain are nationalists.

Ricardo Gallardo, Lisbon, Portugal

having previously commented about this terrible decision I decided to read every other comment posted. To my surprise(?) other comments condemning this terrorist/murderer including my own are no longer to be found. I understand that all views are valid (unlike ETA who would and probably will murder anyone who doesn't agree with them) .It's time to take a stand against decisions which, although technically legal are morally abhorrent. Zapatero represents the party who previously operated using the GAL, goodness knows what secrets Eta must have to be able to manipulate democracy in this way. Maybe the 11M trial will offer some clues but having seen this govt in operation I doubt it. As for comments about democracy for the Basque people, what about the 10 million people who voted for the Popular Party, plus I'm sure , the majority of Socialists who find the whole ETA situation outrageous.

sandy thorne, palma, mallorca, spain

There's only one point in which there still remains a doubt: whether the spanish Government had the right to send this terrorist to his hometown. The rest, even if disgusting to somebody, has been done in full compliance with the spanish law. I find it difficult to judge such a decission when all of the options available had severe drawbacks. Maybe letting him die in jail or in hospital would have been a more "brave" option to try to defeat ETA, but the choice of the government has been to avoid going through the consequences this would have had. We cannot tell if this was the right choice. People who support PP's view that this terrorist should still be in jail for years just have not understood this: he was not being kept locked for his horrible 25 killings, but for a (doubtful) threat offense. Besides, keeping this terrorist imprisoned won't do any more justice to the victims. It is sad, but it's true: they died a brutal and meaningless death by the acts of an evil man.

M. Rey, Augsburg, Germany

In response to Paul Bourne from Great Yarmouth.

Should the UK give the scottish, the welsh and Northern Ireland a democratic vote? Should Northern Ireland form part of Ireland? Why are many politic decisions copncerning Scotland or Wales made in London?

Albert, Barcelona, Spain

The Times has played its mischeivous part in this patchwork of shame.

If it was not for your underhand behaviour, publishing photos of this killer taken clandestinely while he was under guard in hospital, then perhaps he would have served out his full sentence.

In giving publicity to this evil man and his twisted band of friends, you have done untold damage to the Spanish democracy.

Imagine what the effect on Thatcher's government would have been if a Spanish newspaper had leaked photographs of an emaciated Bobby Sands during the last days of his hunger strike?

Eduard Jaume, Madrid, Reino de España

Idoia wrote: "There is no question that the government's move is legal. " This is absolutely false. The law requires a number of conditions before somebody like this cynical killer (although his current jail term is unrelated to his 25 assassinations) can be sent home like this, and he satisfies none of them. Also, he is not "gravely ill", but was holding the Rule of Law over a barrel, and the state has caved in. The message we are sending to the criminal organization formed by ETA and its entourage is: "Blackmail works!"

Rudy Vonk, Oviedo, Spain

Have long should we have to wait for a gesture of good will from ETA and it's peers now? And what would come next, another terrorist bomb? But, of course we will continue to hear about how the richest region of Spain continues to be ill-treated, discriminated and suffer by the evil Spaniards.... I wish you could see what is living in the Basque Country today for anyone who is not a nationalist. Including Basques, because many people forget that nearly half of the Basques are not nationalists. But are they "REAL" basques?, and then we start again with the chicken and egg thing...., MADNESS, but very dangerous madness, this is why I (as many others) have emigrated.

jose, durham, uk

The oposition Partido Popular, which actually released many ETA prisoners when in power, as well as the right wing media and other organisations are largely responsible for the importance this event has had in the news. The law in place at the time meant that de Juana Chaos only had to serve 18 years for the murder of 25 people, but that was the law. The hunger strike was a result of an attempt to keep him in jail by essentialy trumping up charges: 96 years for making veiled threats in a newspaper article. If we choose to fight terrorism using the law, we have to be scrupulous: the other way leads to Guantamamo.

Me, Madrid, Spain

I am shocked and disgusted by the descision to free De Juana. They decide to do this at a time when there is the trail going on in Madrid for the bombings it sends out the wrong signals that people commit attoritces and are then set free! The suspected terroists are propably thinking now that they will get a soft sentence.

Chris Jenkins, Preston, Lancashire

outrage, sadness, disbelief, that´s what i felt yesterday morning when i learnt that the government of my country had decided to release this remorseless murderer. Mr Zapatero has given in.when a few months ago he said there would be no political price to be paid to reach the so longed peace, many people believed him, including myself.He has proven with his actions that he is at the mercy of a bunch of assasins who will not hesitate to kill inocent people again in order to continue pursuing their criminal agenda of extorsion, death and suffering. Quoting one of his articles on a basque journal he declared: " i so enjoy myself everytime we strike. watching on the news the tears and the pain of the families of those we murder gives me the food that i need for a whole month." I want peace as anyone would, but not at any price.Today I´m ashamed to be Spanish. Mr Zapatero, you will pay for this unjustice.

Miguel Gavira, Madrid, Spain

One thing I do not understand. There is no question that the government's move is legal. That is perfectly clear and no one disputes that. At least that means this socialist government is better than the last one which organised death squads. But the thing I do not understand and no one seems to explain is if the government was obliged by law to do this. I suspect it wasn't and we are being presented with a perfectly legal but entirely political decision as if it were a legal obligation. Why would de Juana have died if he had stayed in a Madrid hospital? All that had to be done was to force feed him.

Idoia, Donostia, Euskadi

I back Minister Rubalcaba´s decision. Rule of law is a guarantee for all citizens. De Juana already served his sentence for the crimes commited and trying to keep him in prison for having written two articles doesn´t match well with democratic values. I deeply believe it´s time for peace so I´d like to encourage President Zapatero and his Goverment to find out the way and to bring us peace. Our kids deserve a better future.

Angel Agirre, Zarautz, Spain

Spain is behaving like the third world, fascist state it was and, in reality, still is. Give the Basques a democratic vote on their future. It's called civilisation.

Paul Bourne, Great Yarmouth, England

Yesterday, Democracy and Justice died in Spain. Now everything can be possible. Our president has given up himself and the terrotsits have won this game to State and Society. You, english, think: what has happened if your goverment had liberated the terrorist of IRA in hunger-strike? What had you think about thar goverment? Now think how Spanish feels today.

Daniel, Madrid, Spain

For those who think that 20 years in prison is not enough, they haven't got any idea about what prison conditions are for members of ETA. They should also think about bringing to Justice, Manuel Fraga, the founder of the Popular Party, who is also responsible for many deaths under the dictatorship. No one who supported Franco has ever paid anything. They still refuse to condemn the dictatorship and if you go to some places you can still see the portrait of Franco hanging in the offices of new-born democrats. Spanish right-wing people have a very particular concept of Justice, maybe because they feel they have never been and will never be accountable.

kiko moraiz, London, UK

Basque Country has ben almost 200 years fighting for the independance from France and Spain. It is a big problem becuase we are speaking -with Cataluña (Barcelona)-about te richest part of the country, so there are not only sentimentals reasons in this issue. That is the reason why ETA exists. Anyway, nowadays there is a big crisis into the people that suport the organization and little by little are adapting to the new reallity. I think that the decision of Zapatero will help to the peace in Basque Country.

Mikel Irigoien, San Sebastian, Spain

Insulting,outrageous but most of all, sad. No other way can you qualify the political surrender of current socialist Government in Spain by setting free a killer as De Juana. We can twist the facts as we please. I'm pretty sure you can always find a reason to let this wicked man go home. But the truth is that the political context has imposed its will beyond wisdom, respect for the victims and a minimum sense of justice. Truth is Zapatero rules with a very weak parlamentary support. Truth is his best allies are nationalists representing barely a 5% of the population. Truth is he's trapped in his own vanity for trying to solve ETA's problem as if he were touched by some magic wand, refusing the oposition's support in order to maintain its weak parlamentary supports. Truth is Zapatero is facing local and autonomic elections in May 27th. Truth is he now counts on March 11th's trial currently taking place to soften De Juana's freedom social impact.

Pierre Luson, SANA'A, YEMEN

What are the rules for The Times on using the word "terrorist" or publishing information, interviews or photographs that could be used by terrorist groups as propaganda?
Do you use the same rules if the terrorist group kill Spanish citizens or British citizens?
I think this newspaper has decided to be on the wrong side of the battle, the terrorist side.

Pedro, Pamplona, Spain

The 10th of July, 1997, a man called Miguel Angel Blanco was kidnapped by the terrorist group ETA. After blackmailing the government with killing him if the ETA prisoners in jail were not freed, and after the government refused to yield, an ETA terrorist shot this man on the back of his head.

Today, De Juana Chaos, a bloody ETA murderer, blackmails the government, asking for his own freedom in exchange for stopping the hunger strike he has engaged in. The government agrees and frees him, saving his life.

I wonder:

Is this ruthless killer's life more valuable than a normal citizen's?

What did Miguel Angel Blanco die for?

What kind of justice allows a man who toasted with champagne over the tears of the family of a navarran politician killed by ETA go free after serving 18 years for 25 murders?

Marta, Valencia, Spain

For the 24 people this person killed, he gor 3000 years from which he served 20; For the paper article where he posed direct death threats to spanish citiziens he got 90 years, reduced later to 12. This gentleman, who said to laugh from the crying of his family victims, has not done his time in jail and is benifiting from polical weakness of the spanish government. He was starving to geath out of his own initiative and if he is not mercifull with himself why should the government be - this is a sad day for teh democratic world!

Pi, Barcelona,

Most interesting is the additional pressure which this newspaper placed on the Spanish government by publishing such a biased article, by your evidently socialist leaning Madrid correspondent, along with a photo, so scandalous, that it was bound to go round the world's media..

Helen, Madrid,

Saturno, it may not be fair, but it is the law. Unfortunately, the law charged him with 20 years of prison, no more and keeping him in prison under the circumstances is no good for peace in Spain, I'm afraid.
Just be fair, we all know the Popular Party freed many assassins when they goberned.
All this chaos is provocked by the oposition to make noise for the coming autonomic and municipal elections.

Maria, Barcelona, Spain

Fact was, regardless of the person in question, he had served his sentence to the full and a continuation of his present sentence as it was would have been a perversion of the Spanish justice system. The important thing for the Spanish authorities is that they adhere to the law, unlike the terrorist group, and that they do not undermine the courts with political pressure.
The next few weeks will see more of the "victims" and the PP on the streets protesting about this, but they will not take up this point due to political immaturity on the part of the protesters, and due to the potential political advantage on the side of the politicians from the opposition.

James, Salamanca, Spain

Shame on the government. They must be the first government of democratic Europe that yields like this...bunch of cowards

Carlos, Madrid, Spain

The decision by the socialist govements seem to be fair and appropriate as De Juana has done his time. But still the question arises as to why should we charge people for stating their opinion?????? given the fact that he was charged and sentenced bacuse of the writing of two articles while exercising the right for freedom of speech. Shame on spaniards who condenm someone for exercising the right to give an opinion. Otherwise, if we are in the right path and we must do so...lets do it with everyone and so why shouldnt we charge Mr Aznar with apology of terrorism when he has been talking so much and commiting Spain to an illegal war in Irak.

manolo, Pamplona,

Blind fellow compatriots who do not see the scope of this measure. More over, they do not understand what democracy means and what respect to the laws means. The terrorist served 18 years in prision paying for 25 killings.....he should be still in prision but that is the law. If this serves the final purpose of ending ETA then its is welcome, otherwise let us chose another government...that is democracy.

Jose, madrid, Spain

"Democracy", "humanitarian reasons", "law", blah, blah, blah. There are lots of terms and expresions to invent an excuse, but the question is simple: Is it fair that the killer of 25 people is free again after 18.5 years in prision?
The answer is much more simple...

Saturno, Madrid, Spain

Mr Rubalcaba ALWAYS looks pained. It is his political mask, the same one he used when he was the spokesman for the previous socialist government, which ran a counter-terrorist organization, the GAL. Take everything he says with a pinch of salt.

Gerardo, Bath, England