Batasuna finds new icon in wanted French woman

"The political battle has already been won," proclaimed Aurore Martin, Batasuna's young former leader in France, as she made a surprise appearance on Saturday at a demonstration in Bayonne. Martin is still waiting for French police to arrest her on an international warrant issued by Spain's High Court on charges that she is a member of ETA.

But for now, Martin, 32, is proud to have become the new icon of the Basque nationalist abertzale left, and will try to push the movement's goals in France.

French Interior Minister Claude Guéant pledged last week that authorities will eventually arrest her. While Martin tries to avoid capture, French law enforcement is waiting for the right moment. They don't want a repeat of last Tuesday's embarrassing episode, when dozens of her supporters prevented her arrest by overwhelming several officers.

In the district of Petit Bayonne, on the Rue de basques, (Basques' street), a pharmacy and a military surplus store adorned with Basque flags sit at each end of the street. Martin is thought to be holed up in her sister's apartment at No. 48. Her friends permanently guard the place and about 200 steps across the river, there is a camp of French "outraged ones," who are ready to intervene again if the police show up.

Martin would be the first French citizen to be extradited for belonging to Batasuna ? outlawed in Spain since 2003 but considered a legal association in France. The arrest warrant issued by High Court Judge Pablo Ruz ? who continued the work of his predecessor, Baltasar Garzón ? alleges that between 2005 and 2008 as a Basque-French representative on Batasuna's national board, Martin participated in the activities of what was considered ETA's political wing. Since then, the abertzale left has publicly pledged its peaceful intentions and through Bildu is now part of the Basque political process. But it has yet to ask ETA to disband.

Martin has been arrested several times but has never been convicted. In 2003 she spent a month in prison after the anti-terrorist judge, Laurence Le Vert, investigated her for alleged membership of ETA.

Since the woman went into hiding in December to avoid extradition, her support has grown. Among her backers is the liberal Union of Magistrates, who are against turning over a French citizen for something that is not considered a crime in France. Martin also has the support of some leftwing organizations, including the French Socialist Party.