The Spanish government has criticised the leaders of the Basque regional authority for backing a protest calling for ETA prisoners to be released.<br /><br /> For the first time both the nationalist right and left parties joined forces in support of jailed members of the Basque separatist group ETA.<br /><br /> Tens of thousands took part in a march in Bilbao last night.<br /><br /> Joseba Egibar, PNV spokeperson said there must be respect for human rights: “Dialogue and the agreements have to be the basis of relationships between political organisations, and that includes ETA itself. This is what the Basque society demands.”<br /><br /> Although’s Spain’s high court ordered the release of ETA prisoners last year, the Madrid government has retroactively applied legislation to block the move. <br /><br /> ETA is accused of killing more than 800 people over more than four decades. Victims of the group say the march made a mockery of their suffering.
