An interesting story is developing in Spain Basque country. 53 years old Joseba Sarrionandia, on the run since 1985 from a San Sebastian jail has been awarded one of Spain’s Basque country’s top literary awards, but he cannot receive the prize unless he gives himself up.

Sarrionandia was serving a 22 years long sentence handed in 1980 for belonging to the militant separatist group ETA. In 1985, he took advantage of a concert given at the jail to hide in one of the loud-speaker and escaped.

Since then, he lives in secret and the topic of banishment/exile is foremost in his writing. In his novel Lagun Izoztua (in Basque The Frozen Friend) he writes about banishment. He has written books and poems which have been sung by different Basque singers such as Jexuxmai Lopetegi, Mikel Laboa, Ruper Ordorika and Fermin Muguruza, stars of the Basque musical scene.

In an ironic twist, a government-sponsored jury recently gave him the award for essays in the Basque language. Now, the Basque regional government is withholding the $24000 prize until he comes forward and “regularizes his legal situation”.

The culture department of the Basque government said it respected the decision and acknowledged Sarrionandia’s talent as a writer. But it said that in line with its “commitment to the law and firm rejection of terrorism” it has major qualms about giving money to a man convicted of belonging to ETA.

It said Sarrionandia had never renounced his membership in ETA, which has killed 829 people in a campaign of bombings and shootings since the late 1960s and is classified as a terrorist organisation by Spain, the European Union and the United States.

“The Basque government accepts the decision but will withhold the monetary component of the prize until the prize-winner fully regularises his situation with judicial authorities.”

The jury said Sarrionandia, who has won other non-government-sponsored prizes before, is a solid writer who over time could become “a classic of Basque culture.”