The Penal Court Number 2 has acquitted seven of the thirteen defendants in a case relating to anti-gypsy riots which occurred in Cotegana, Huelva, in January 2005. Amongst those acquitted is the local mayor, Antonio Marín.
The incident began after the murder of a local resident. Following a trial held on January 16th, a protest demonstration turned nasty and the houses of local gypsy families were stoned.
The six remaining defendants have been sentenced to one year and nine months in jail and have been banned from standing as political candidates during their incarceration. They will also have to pay a fine of €4 per day for eighteen months for the offence of criminal damage.