The European Court of Human Rights has ruled today on the so called Spain’s Parot doctrine, the controversial case-law which saw ETA militants sentences’ extended beyond the 30-year maximum behind bars.

The Court confirmed her previous ruling and rejected the appeal by the Spanish government saying the Parot Doctrine is unlawful and ordering the release of Ines Del Rio Prada.

The Cour held unanimously, that since 3 July 2008 the applicant’s detention has not been “lawful”, in violation of Article 5 § 1 of the Convention.

The sentence concerned the case of ETA prisoner Ines Del Rio Prada. Sentenced to 3,000 years for several attacks in the late 1980s, she was jailed in 1989 and was due for release in 2008, but Spain invoked the Parot doctrine saying any remission must be deducted from her total sentence instead of the 30 year maximum.

The Strasbourg court already ruled in 2012 that the extension of her sentence was irregular, but Madrid appealed to the Grand Chamber.

The Grand Chamber’s verdict has come the day after the second anniversary of ETA’s permanent ceasefire.

The Court’s ruling could now lead to the release of many prisoners held for multiple crime sentences as well as 70 ETA prisoners held under the Parot doctrine, leading some to point to a purely political future for the Basque separatist organisation. However, it’s thought Madrid may choose other ways to circumvent the ruling.