Eta commander jailed for 30 years

Ibon Fernandez Iradi escaped before being re-arrested

A French court has sentenced a former military commander of Basque separatist group Eta to 30 years in prison for the attempted murder of a French policeman.

Ibon Fernandez Iradi shot the police officer eight times in the city of Bayonne in 2001, leaving him with near-fatal injuries.

Doctors told the court it was a miracle the officer had survived.

Iradi, known also as "Susper", escaped from custody a year after the shooting, before being re-arrested.

Spanish authorities say he was the head of recruitment for Eta, before becoming its military leader.

An accomplice, Antonio Agustin Figal Arranz, was sentenced to 10 years in prison.