10 December 2009

New information about Jon Anza on the 8th month of his disappearance.


Eight months ago former Basque political prisoner Jon Anza went missing after boarding a train in Baiona (northern Basque Country) going to the French city of Toulouse. He never made it to his destination. Soon after his family made public the nature of his disappearance. ETA released a statement claiming Jon Anza was a member of the armed organization and that the police were well aware of it. In fact he disappeared on his way to a meeting with other members of the organization. ETA claimed that the Spanish police were responsible for his disappearance. Jon Anza had cancer and was almost blind at the time.

The Basque newspaper Gara reported a month ago that following reliable sources Jon Anza was kidnapped by the Spanish police, interrogated and killed and then buried somewhere in France.

Last week the prestigious French newspaper Le Monde published an article about the Jon Anza case. The article breaks the official silence imposed by the Spanish and French governments surrounding the disappearance and brings new information about the investigation.

Among other new aspects the article carries extracts of an interview with the French prosecutor. She says she’s astonished at the lack of evidence found on the case, but despite this she believes the French police are doing their job. The Spanish authorities never informed the French Jon was an ETA member and it caused great surprise to the French police when the armed organization claimed his membership.

According to the article the French had kept some sort of surveillance on Jon but due to his serious illness thought he wasn’t involved in ETA.

During the eight months of his disappearance a huge campaign of demonstrations and protests has been organised and posters with Jon’s face and the question “Where is Jon?” written on it cover the walls across the Basque Country.

At least another four pro-independence activists have been kidnapped, threatened and tortured by police forces during the past 12 months.

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