Irish Basque Solidarity Committees

'Night of Solidarity with the Basque Country'

2012-02-02T11:05:00.000Z

The Belfast Basque Solidarity Committee would like to invite you to our 'Night of Solidarity with the Basque Country' on Saturday 25th February 2012 in the Felons Club, Belfast.

A night of discussion and debate, music and a buffet dinner - organised by the Belfast Basque Solidarity Committee and Supported by Coiste na n-Iarchimí as part of the International Week of Solidarity with the Basque Country.

The night will feature a panel discussion on the current political process in Euskal Herria (Basque Country) with Joe Austin (chair) Pat Sheehan (Sinn Féin MLA and former Hunger striker) and a special guest from Euskal Herria, with a short DVD, buffet dinner and then music from traditional Basque musician Mikel Markez, followed by a selection of the best of Irish musicians.

TICKETS £10 ONLY!!

Proceeds will go towards supporting Basque political prisoner Fermin Vila, currently held in Maghaberry Prison on extradition warrants from Spanish Government. For further info or to purchase tickets please contact Kevin Morrison - 07828130493, or by email slinnian@hotmail.com

PLEASE SUPPORT AND PASS ON

GO RAIBH MAITH AGAIBH / ESKERRIK ASKO / THANK YOU

Basque Info 10th-23rd February 2012

2012-01-24T11:18:00.001Z

In this issue:
• Political prisoners’ situation continues to set the agenda in the Basque Country
• Repression and resistance summary

Political prisoners’ situation continues to set the agenda in the Basque Country
The huge demonstration that filled the streets of Bilbao on Saturday 7th January gave rise to multiple reactions and declarations throughout the week. The sponsors emphasized the historical dimension of the demonstration. Different political parties and representatives of the Spanish Government itself were forced to comment due to the wide media coverage of the demonstration.

The demonstration’s promoters, the Egin Degazun Bidea platform, called it a clear expression of popular will and also expressed their thanks to all who made this popular mobilization possible. They stated that the demonstration was an enormous step and underlined the need for new steps to be taken: “It is time to move on from words to deeds.”

They also called on the Spanish and French governments to be courageous and to “immediately end this cruel penitentiary policy.” “Basque society has spoken clearly and it’s time for both states to take steps that connect with the majority of Basque society.” They pointed out that laws aren’t any obstacle and mustn’t be an excuse if there is the political will to modify them.

Finally they addressed Basque Country society upon which they called to organize themselves and continue mobilizing in defense of the rights of prisoners and political exiles.

Two days later in a new appearance, Egin Degazan Bidea announced two principal initiatives they intend in order to continue to advance.

A reflection process in the herri bilgunes (local groups for the initiative) to articulate popular participation. Saturday’s mobilization showed that thousands of people are willing to work for prisoners’ rights and the most efficient way must be found to energize this movement.

The intensification of contacts with other agencies in the country on two fronts: to make the commitments in hand more efficient and to try to reach new agreements with other agencies.

The objective of all this is to gain respect for the rights of prisoners as a first step in changing the penitentiary policy and in that way advancing towards a resolution of the conflict that brings with it the return of the prisoners and exiles.

However in Madrid the PP Government, ignoring the wishes of the majority of Basque citizens, tried to play down the mobilization and to shrug off the pressure for a change the penitentiary policy.

On state television, the Interior Minister said that the Government wasn’t going to be pressured and they were going to continue to apply the current policy. What’s more, they tried to avoid responsibility and said that the demand should be for ETA to dissolve itself completely. They also insisted that the Government was not going to apply penitentiary policy collectively but according to individual cases.

From the Spanish opposition PSOE, Eduardo Madina, Secretary General of the Socialist Group in Parliament, called on the PP to be brave, stating that within the law there is room for movement and certain political steps can be taken to consolidate a scenario of peace and complete freedom.

In a communiqué sent to the Gara newspaper, the Association of Basque Political Prisoners (EPPK) wished to congratulate the organizers and all of the people who took part in the demonstration. They expressed pride in the people of the Basque Country. “The social and political support received by each and every one of us and for the petitions and initiatives of the EPPK have been amazing,” they said.

In the communiqué the Association stated that the Government was wrong to suggest individual solutions for its members. “There will be no individual solutions, ignoring the general and collective point of view, without confronting the political problem,” they said.

The prisoners also expressed their willingness to take new steps in contribution to the democratic process underway in the Basque Country. They said that for the collective the concept of “amnesty” means an integral democratic solution -- a democratic process that brings all prisoners and refugees home.

Meanwhile, Basque political prisoner Inaki Erro (25 years in jail) was taken to hospital after suffering a stroke. He should have been released years ago after completing three-quarters of his sentence.

Repression news

• A couple of weeks after he denounced his 8-year prison sentence for his political work, Basque pro-independence young activist Ekaitz Samaniego suddenly turned up at the end of a large demonstration organised to support him in his home town of Gasteiz/Vitoria on Saturday 14th. He was then arrested by the Basque-Spanish police and sent to jail. Video: http://www.gara.net/bideoak/120114_ekaitz/

• Six other youth were given up to six years’ jail last Monday accused of being member of the political pro-independence youth organization Segi, banned by the Spanish authorities seven years ago. Protests have been organised in their local area.

• Nineteen people from the town of Laudio are facing up to six years in jail each for disrupting a local council’s meeting to protest against the banning of Basque pro-independence election candidates.

• The Abertzale (pro-Independence) Left organised a commemoration to remember the four local people murdered 32 years ago by Spanish death squads in Alonsotegi’s bar near Bilbao.

• Christian Casteigts was 22 in 1985 when a Spanish death squad’s bomb exploded under his car in Baiona (under French rule). Badly injured and left paraplegic, he never recovered from his injuries and he passed away last week at the age of forty-nine.

• Three alleged ETA members were arrested near Paris last week. This is the first police operation against ETA since the new conservative PP government took office in the Spanish state.

• Hundreds of people marched through the small town of Noain last Sunday to demand the release of Miguel Angel Llamas “Pitu” a well-known local journalist, on the first anniversary of his imprisonment. The charges are based on his professional work. He ran a very popular news website focused on political repression and prisoners’ solidarity. Dozens of journalists have signed a petition to demand his release.

• Hundreds of people held a press conference in Altsasu last week to denounce the Spanish judiciary’s latest attack on freedom of speech. The local pro-independence Mayor and two other activists were indicted for a street performance entitled “The king’s speech” organised to denounce the police harassment the town suffers on a daily basis. The indictment came after a huge criminalization campaign in the Spanish media.

• Yesterday an English court accepted the extradition warrant issued by the Spanish authorities for Basque political refugee Eneko Gogeaskoetxea. His defence team will now appeal. Eneko has been held in the London jail of Belmarsh in draconian conditions for seven months.

• Basque pro-independence activist Unai Hernandez was jailed last week to complete a seven-year jail sentence given for his exclusively political activities.

Basque Info 27th December – 9th January

2012-01-11T15:54:00.000Z

In this issue:
• Colossal demonstration calls for repatriation of prisoners and exiles
• Solidarity with young activist

Colossal demonstration calls for repatriation of prisoners and exiles

Demo’s video: http://www.gara.net/bideoak/120107_kolosala2/

Last Saturday Bilbao witnessed one of the largest demonstrations ever held in the Basque Country. According to usually reliable estimates over 110,000 people attended the march which had been organised and supported by a myriad of political parties, trade unions and social movements to demand the repatriation of all Basque political prisoners and exiles. It also asked for the immediate release of seriously ill prisoners (eight) and those who have already served two-thirds and three-fourths of their sentences (175 prisoners) as well as those who have already served 100% (58 prisoners). According to Etxerat, the association of relatives of Basque political prisoners and exiles, there are currently 665 prisoners scattered in 71 jails in seven different countries (but the vast majority in the Spanish and French states). Only eight are held in prisons in the Basque Country.

The crowd was so big that it proved very hard for the head of it to move forward. A banner carried by well known musicians, artists, ex-prisoners, sports people and former IRA hunger striker and Sinn Féin MLA Pat Sheehan read in Basque and English: “Repatriate All Basque Prisoners with all their rights.” Leading the march hundreds of prisoners’ relatives walked holding flags with the repatriation campaign logo and slogan (the Spanish National Court had banned them from carrying photographs of prisoners or from calling them political prisoners). Behind all of them there were representatives of the majority of Basque trade unions and nationalist parties along with thousands upon thousands of anonymous citizens.

Despite the presence of dozens of police vans and anti-riot police, some of them even within the body of the actual march, and the threats of the local government and the prohibitions of the Spanish National Court, the march was peaceful.

At the final speech the organisers said: “There are no excuses anymore. There is no place for more delay. From tomorrow, Basque society doesn’t expect anything but the removal of all the cruel and exceptional measures applied to Basque prisoners. By doing so a grey period would come to an end and it would open the door to a new time which will bring us to a new situation of freedom and rights for all, to a situation of definite peace without prisoners and exiles.”

Pressure is growing on the newly-elected conservative Spanish government to make a move. Even the unionist Spanish Socialist Party in office in the two Basque regional governments has said the prisoners should be transfered to jails in the Basque Country. A Spanish government survey showed last week that the majority of Basque people support the repatriation of Basque political prisoners, negotiations between ETA and the government, the right to self-determination and the legalization of the Basque Pro-Independence Left.

The Spanish Government reaction has been to say that they won’t proceed to collective releases but will apply the measures contained in the law.

Solidarity with young activist

22 year-old pro-independence activist Ekaitz Samaniego has been at the centre of a wave of solidarity during the last week of the year. Ekaitz was sentenced to eight years in jail recently, acused of being a member of the Basque pro-independence revolutionary youth organisation Segi which was banned by the Spanish authorities in 2005.

Basque pro-independence political youth activists and their organizations have been butally harassed and attacked by Spanish and French police and judiciary over the past 10 years. Three organizations have been banned and over 300 members arrested, tortured and sentenced to up to eight years in jail because of their political and public work.

Ekaitz is the last of a long black list but many more remain in jail or under the threat of arrest. This time, a broad campaign of solidarity has been backing him in his local town of Gasteiz/Vitoria. Fifty people along with Ekaitz himself spent a week on protest in a local church and received the support of hundreds of people. At the end of the week Ekaitz decided “to go underground to highlight his situation and that of many other activists.” He’ll be staying in supporters’ homes until he decides what’s the best time to return to the public eye.

Basque Info 14th-26th December

2011-12-27T11:20:00.000Z

In this issue:
• Important declaration from the Gernika Agreement signatories regarding victims of all violence

• No positive responses from Spain and France to ETA’s move says International Contact Group

• In Brief: Navarre declares against prisoners dispersal policy; Otegi speaks from prison; Spanish Parliament denies own Parliamentary Group to Amaiur; Extraditions.

Important declaration from Gernika Agreement signatories regarding victims of all violence

The signatories of the Gernika Agreement for conflict resolution, the Abertzale Left among them, launched a new document to state their position in relation to the issue of conflict victims.

They consider the recognition of all victims of all violence to be an important step in advancing towards overcoming the conflict. They reaffirm “the necessity of recognition, reconciliation and reparation of all victims that the political conflict has given rise to and the reality of multilateral violences”.

The suffering caused by the conflict has been great and in the text they mention it and make clear that “the pain and suffering of each part of the conflict can’t be, and shouldn’t be, measured.”

They show their sorrow to those who have suffered some type of violence, be it that from ETA or from the Spanish or French states. They recognize the pain and suffering that violence has caused among people.

To advance to building a fair and lasting peace, it is necessary to recognize all of the pain suffered, they believe and that it is important for “the truth to be known, each and every truth that forms a part of it.”

The subject of victims being so delicate, they understand that it has to be treated with care and respect without it being used as a weapon in the political debate. They champion adopting measures, individually as well as collectively, towards repairing the damage caused and restoring the violated rights of the victims.

They affirm that their objective is “a society in which everyone can exercise their rights and see them respected” for which there must be an advance on the path to reconciliation and mutual respect.

Finally they declare that the best guarantee that situations of violence and violations of human rights never occur is the definitive overcoming of the political conflict. For that it would be important to open a process of dialogue among the whole of Basque political forces to deal with the final closure of the causes of the conflict.

No positive responses from Spain and France to ETA’s move says International Contact Group

The International Contact Group (IGC) announced a new initiative with the objective of putting in place the mechanisms for moving forward the recommendations covered in the Declaration of Aiete.

The members of the IGC met a few days ago in London. The objective of the meeting was to continue the work for whic they cam into being: that of promoting, facilitating and speeding up the resolution of the conflict in the Basque Country.

In the meeting they evaluated events relating to the resolution process that have occurred since the Aiete Conference. In the press release sent out after the meeting they stated that “neither the Spanish Government nor the French Government have responded positively to the declaration by ETA.”

In spite of that the IGC has decided to continue with their work and “collaborate with international leaders to establish steps towards the formation of a committee to follow the recommendations that are contained in the declaration.”

The IGC affirms that it will continue observing the evolution of the situation and they are disposed to support and promote ways to foment confidence in public opinion, including dialogue with civil society and with all political parties.

In brief:

Navarre’s parliament declares against dispersal policy: For the first time ever the parliament of Navarre (one of the two autonomous communities comprising the southern Basque Country) passed a motion against the dispersal policy implemented on Basque political prisoners. As a consequence of such policy the 686 Basque political prisoners are scattered in 85 jails across France and Spain. The motion was passed with the support of the Socialist Party (soc. dem.) which had been in government in Madrid until losing the Spanish general elections two months ago.

Arnaldo Otegi speaks from prison: One of the main Spanish radio stations interviewed, through a written questionnaire, imprisoned Basque pro-independence leader Arnaldo Otegi. In the interview Otegi told Spanish public opinion that it should now face up the solution of the consequences of the conflict.

Spanish parliament denies a group of its own to Amaiur: The right-wing PP used their absolute majority to leave Basque pro-independence Amaiur without their own group in Parliament. As a consequence Amaiur will be permitted less time for speeches and funds and won’t be able to take part in meetings on state security matters. Amaiur, for their part, denounced the political motivation of this decision and announced an appeal.

Extraditions: Basque political refugee Ventura Tomé was extradited from Belgium last week. Meanwhile hearings were held on the cases of Basque refugees Fermin Vila (Belfast), Eneko Gogeskoetxea (London) and Xabier Agirre (Brussels).

Basque Info 29th Nov-13th Dec

2011-12-14T13:44:00.000Z

In this edition:
• Campaign for repatriation of Basque political prisoners gains momentum
• Strong demand for a democratic resolution

Campaign for repatriation of Basque political prisoners gains momentum

Basque political prisoners continue to suffer the consequences of the special prison policy of the French and Spanish states. They continue to be imprisoned hundreds of kilometres away from their families and friends despite the wishes of the majority of Basque society.

That is the reason for the unceasing public demonstrations demanding the repatriation of political prisoners and respect for their rights. Social agencies, political parties and trade unions have shown their support for the national march in favor of the prisoners to take place on January 7th, organised by the ad-hoc umbrella group Egin Dezagun Bidea (Let’s Make the Way).

Besides showing their agreement with this demonstration, these agencies wished to make strong commitments in defence of the rights of Basque political prisoners. According to them the prisoners’ suffering requires it and turning the direction of penitentiary policy towards the resolution of the conflict is an urgent goal. Because of that they have called for diverse mobilizations to raise public awareness from here until January 7th. One of the most important will be the rotating fast from December 12th to December 18th in which trade unionists, youth association members, teachers, students, feminists, representatives of political parties and institutions will take part in 24-hour shifts.

New steps are being taken by the Prisoners’ Association in the context of the current political situation in the Basque Country brought about by the strategy put in place over the past two years by the Basque Pro-Independence Left.

Through a statement published in the newspaper Gara last Saturday, the Basque Political Prisoners’ Association shared with Basque society their reflections and gave an account of the initiatives they will take in the coming weeks.

The statement was published on the 10th December, International Human Rights Day. That is why some of the human rights violations that the Basque Country suffers were named, specifically cultural, linguistic and political rights.

The statement announced an important initiative in the coming weeks to end the dispersal policy (700 prisoners scattered among 85 jails) that they and especially their families suffer:

“With this new initiative we wish to demand an end to the dispersal policy and to ask for our re-allocation. The is not a new demand but we wish to renew it because it is our right, it is the right of our family members and friends, because it is the right of our people. The penitentiary policy, the dispersal policy does not only target political prisoners, it is an added punishment for our families and friends. This policy initiated a quarter of a century ago today means prolonging the political blackmail of this people and hindering the political process with traps and attacks.

“An attack that Basque forces favoring a political resolution cannot permit. For the states nothing more than giving a positive response is needed, without delay. They have the whole people in front of them, even those who until today have promoted, defended and accepted the cruelty and violence of the penitentiary policy. Ending that is an urgent democratic necessity. It’s time to make valiant, profound and democratic decisions. The road map of resolution demands it.”

“Every one of us is going to make a petition to be transferred to the Basque Country in the coming days. A petition that we announce and support through this statement.

“If we are regrouped in the Basque Country we could give our active and positive support to the political process.”

The Association demands that ill prisoners be set free, also those who a long time ago should have been paroled and those who have had their sentences lengthened in an irregular way.

They call on the governments of Spain and France to respond to this demand. They also feel that the international community should involve themselves with this subject and encourage them to take decisive steps.

Four hundred former Basque Political prisoners from different generations participated in a massive press conference on Sunday in which they showed their total support for “the reflections and petitions made public” the previous day by the Basque Political Prisoners’ Association. They said that the time of repression and suffering must be overcome and an important step on this path is bringing home all of the prisoners and those on the run.

Strong demand for democratic resolution

4,000 people marched in Baiona (northern Basque Country) last Saturday to demand from the Spanish and French states a conflict resolution process. The march was supported by all Basque nationalist parties and also the Basque branches of the French Socialist Party, Green Party and New Anticapitalist Party as well as trade unions. ‘Wanted’ Basque political activists Aurore Martin and Josu Esparza attended the rally also.

Forty-eight hours later Josu Esparza was arrested, extradited to Spain and imprisoned. Another two Basque pro-independence activists have been arrested also today by French police in the northern Basque Country. The arrests have been deemed as a provocation by the organisers of last Saturday’s march.

Basque Info 1/12/10

2010-12-06T11:01:00.000Z

Basque Info 1/12/10

• New Basque Pro-Independence Left party’s basis presented
• France accepts the European arrest warrant against Aurore Martin, member of Batasuna.

New Basque Pro-Independence Left party’s basis presented

The Basque Pro-Independence Left will soon have an entirely new political formation, designed to accumulate forces to achieve independence and socialism and supported by activity carried out through exclusively political and democratic means. Its first step presented a powerful picture featuring nearly 300 activists in different fields of Basque endeavour.

The Pro-Independence Left took another essential step last Saturday to overcome the current deadlock. They held a press conference to display the political and organizational bases of their new project. They also announced that “soon" they will present the new organization’s. They added an important point: "This application will be prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Political Parties Law." They did so after making it clear that they still consider the law "undemocratic", and that it is part of the current reality "of imposition and denial" by the Spanish state which they seek to change with their political initiative.

The two pillars of the project are: an open democratic internal structure and way of working and activity carried out exclusively through peaceful and democratic methods. They stressed that the exclusive commitment to politics "should be firm and unequivocal, not subject to situational factors and tactical variables, and therefore must reject the use of violence or threat of its use for political objectives." On the horizon remain the historical objectives of the Pro-Independence Left: independence and socialism.

This impressive event in Iruñea/Pamplona fixed another objective to the new project of the Pro-Independence Left: that at this historical point it should work for a peaceful scenario, engaging in invigorating a process of dialogue and negotiation to resolve the conflict democratically. Those gathered to support this new project included youth, students, trade unionists, pro-amnesty activists...

Statement of the press conference in English:
http://www.ezkerabertzalea.info/irakurri.php?id=6147

France accepts the European arrest warrant against Aurore Martin, member of Batasuna.

In a move against Batasuna, the Pau Court last week gave the green light to a European arrest warrant against Batasuna representative Aurore Martin, on account of her participation in political events in the southern Basque towns of Iruñea/Pamplona and Agurain. The decision, which is not final, amazed her defense counseol, created concerns in the Pro-Independence Left and was rejected by the entire political spectrum of the northern Basque Country where Batasuna remains a legal political party though banned in the Spanish occupied southern Basque Country.

The judicial process initiated by the Spanish government and presented to the French state against Aurore Martin for being a member of Batasuna has taken another step forward. The Pau Court ruled in favour of implementing the arrest warrant. The decision is not final but, if ratified by the Court of Appeal, it would represent a major step by Paris and would constitute a serious precedent. Aurore Martin, 31, as all northern Basques do has "French nationality" and is being prosecuted solely for political activities, such as participation in two acts of the Pro-Independence Left in Iruñea/Pamplona and Agurain. In the process references are made to other appearances in Baiona or Uztaritze (northern Basque Country).

This ruling of the Pau Court has caused a visible political upheaval in the northern Basque Country because everyone understands the possible consequences in the near future. In addition there were many demands, from very different political backgrounds, that the judges reject the Spanish claim outright, which has not happened. Among the reactions must be highlighted that of the the local branch of the mainstream French Socialist Party (Labour). In a press release, they considered the verdict "unacceptable to us as democrats." It adds that it "deplores the proceedings of this court, whose very foundation has been perverted and brings into question the right of defence and individual freedom. It doesn’t reflect the will to fight terrorism as envisaged in the European arrest warrant process, but seeks instead to criminalize democratic political action. "

Basque Info 10/11/10

2010-11-10T16:34:00.002Z

• International campaign for the immediate release of Arnaldo Otegi launched
• Pro-Independence alliances strengthened
• Prisoner’s relatives demand the end of the dispersal policy without delay

International campaign for the immediate release of Arnaldo Otegi launched
Last Friday more than 250 well-known people from different political backgrounds from the Basque Country, including politicians, trade unionists, writers, journalists, sports people and others, launched a petition to ask for the release of the Basque Pro-Independence leader Arnaldo Otegi.

He was arrested and imprisoned along another five Batasuna members one year ago when they were about to launch an internal debate within the Pro-Independence movement to discuss the future strategy.

The petition signatories think that there are no legal grounds to hold him and that his release could contribute to bring about a new peace scenario in the Basque Country.

On Saturday an international campaign for the release of the well-known politician was also presented.

This campaign was born during the World Social Forum of Sao Paulo, organised in Buenos Aires last August. The organisers said that Otegi is a “political prisoner" because "there is no other objective reason for his arrest than preventing him from working for his political ideas.”

In coming weeks they will hold an event in Madrid and before the end of the year they will meet with European left-wing parties to try to take this initiative to the European Parliament. They are committed to continuing to gather support "until the outcry forces the Spanish Government to release Otegi."

More than 600 international personalities have already signed the petition including USA former Attorney General Ramsey Clark and Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams.

Meantime, this Thursday Arnaldo Otegi will be tried along with another two Pro-Independence leaders in the Spanish Special Court accused of “glorifying terrorism” for launching a peace proposal in front of 15,000 people at a rally in Donostia/San Sebastian exactly six years ago. That peace proposal led to the 2005-2007 failed negotiation process with the Spanish authorities.

At the same time and ironically enough, former Spanish Prime Minister Felipe Gonzalez admitted last Sunday in an extensive interview that, among other things, he could have blown up the entire ETA’s leadership in 1992 and that he also ordered the release of a Basque citizen kidnapped by the Spanish death squads. All political parties from the Spanish right wing to the Basque nationalists immediately accused him of being “Mister X”, the leader of the Dirty War against the Pro-Independence movement.

Although this is not the first time he publicly glorifies state terrorism, he has never been brought to court.

Pro-Independence alliances strengthened
Despite the criminalization campaign, which recently included a motion passed in the Spanish Senate against reaching agreements with Batasuna, and the hardening of the Parties’ Law to prevent them from taking part in elections, the broad pro-independence movement continues to gain momentum.

Last June the Pro-Independence Left signed a strategic agreement with the social-democratic nationalist party Eusko Alkartasuna (Basque Solidarity) to work together for a Basque progressive independent republic. Since then lot of work has been done and this week for example, conferences have been organised together across the Basque Country and even Argentina to promote that alliance and announce more steps for the near future. This includes a programme of 100 proposals for political, social and economic change.

Last Saturday the Basque pro-independence citizens network Independentistak held a historical meeting to organise and agree objectives for the coming years. This is the first time that pro-independence people from different political backgrounds came together in such a fashion. The network appointed a 46 person group as coordinators and aim at getting 500 local coordinators, 5,000 members, many more thousands of supporters, along with up to 100,000 Euros collected by 2012. The network will be based on a horizontal and democratic structure and will work away from political parties and elections.

Prisoner’s relatives demand the end of the dispersal policy without delay
Last Saturday the association of Basque political prisoners and escapees’ relatives Etxerat! (Back home!) organised their 10th national AGM. More than 700 relatives and friends took part.

They reaffirmed their commitment to continue working day and night until all their loved ones are back home despite the criminalization campaign and threats against them. They suspect they could be the next target for the Spanish repressive campaign. In order to show them support and warn of the imminent danger, representatives of different political parties and trade unions appeared along with them at a press conference last week.

Etxerat! said it’s time to end one of the darkest pages in Basque history by bringing to an end the dispersal policy applied by the Spanish and French states on more than 750 political prisoners and their families. The prisoners are currently scattered in more than 85 jails at hundreds of miles from home.

Basque Info podcast

2010-11-10T16:33:00.001Z

Including the main news of the week and an interview with Basque solicitor Iratxe Urizar http://tinyurl.com/32bzmc9

Basque Info podcast

2010-10-20T16:18:00.001+01:00

Basque Info 6/10/10

2010-10-08T11:54:00.000+01:00

• Huge Demonstration for human, civil and political rights
• European HR Court condemns Spain for not investigating tortures
• New police operation
• New press statement of Brian Currin
• Basque political prisoner tries to commit suicide

Huge Demonstration for human, civil and political rights

Last Saturday 46,000 people took part in a demonstration in favour of human, political and civil rights in Bilbao. They also protested against the banning by the Spanish authorities of two previous marches, which had the same slogan.

The majority of Basque political parties and trade unions supported the demonstration, which was branded by some as the beginning of a new era in the Basque Country.

Some of the political leaders who attended the march stressed the importance of such popular mobilisations in order to put pressure on the Spanish government to make it desist from its negative attitude towards a democratic process.

Banners demanding the release of the recently arrested pro-independence activists could also be seen along the march. People shouted chants in favour of the Basque political prisoners and independence.

European Court of Human Rights condemns Spain for not investigating torture

The ECHR condemnation of Spain refers to the case of Basque citizen Mikel San Argimiro who was arrested, held incommunicado and tortured for five days by the Guardia Civil (militarised police corps) in 2002. The sentence orders Spain to pay 23,000 euros for failing to investigate the complaints of torture. The sentence is likely to establish a precedent in the matter because Spain almost systematically does not investigate claims of torture while in detention.

The forensic report in San Argimiro's torture case established that he had many serious injuries, which were dismissed.

The European tribunal cannot judge whether torture has taken place or not, because there is no investigation. However, it can judge that failing to investigate claims of torture is a serious fault and a breach of article 3 of the European Covenant on Human Rights which forbids torture.

There is a long list of similar cases involving Basques as victims. Next in line are the well-known cases of Unai Romano, whose photos with his face totally deformed by the beatings caused a tremendous impact, and Martxelo Otamendi, director of Basque language newspaper Egunkaria, which is one of the most aggravating cases of persecution against freedom of speech and linguistic diversity.

New police operation

Just a few hours after seven pro-independence activists belonging to the internationalist organisation Askapena were arrested three people were arrested and accused of forming an ETA unit in Villabona, near Donostia/San Sebastian. Explosives and weapons were said to be found by the police.

Five out of the seven Askapena members were sent to jail after several days in the hands of the police and two of the three alleged members were also imprisoned. Two of them denounced being brutally tortured while under the incommunicado regime.

During the week many protests were organised at the home towns of those arrested and there were also protests and solidarity events organised across the world to support Askapena and the arrested activists.

The leadership of the Basque pro-independence trade union LAB said at a press conference last week that they are being harassed and are under constant surveillance by the Spanish police. They demanded their right to do their job freely and demanded the Spanish authorities to change their repressive attitude and promote a democratic peace process.

Last Friday a Belfast judge dismissed the European Arrest Warrant against Basque activist Fermin Vila. He was arrested in Belfast last July following a Spanish request based on “terrorism charges”. He has been held in Maghaberry jail since then. The Spanish authorities have now produced two new warrants.

Around 100 people attended a solidarity and fundraising night to support Fermin Vila and Askapena in west Belfast on Friday. On Saturday 30 people took part in a five-a-side football tournament with the same aims.

New press statement from Brian Currin

International mediator Brian Currin announced last week: “Each one of the endorsers of the Brussels Declaration has been consulted on ETA’s recent statements and direct response to the Brussels Declaration. Their plea to ETA remains the same as it was when the Brussels Declaration was issued in March this year, namely that they declare a unilateral, verifiable and permanent ceasefire.”

Brian Currin also stated “that as a result of logistical difficulties in working with a large group of individuals in different parts of the world and the need to engage on the issues quickly and efficiently it has been decided, in consultation with various interested parties to establish an International Contact Group of 5 people. Details of this group, it members, mandate and role will be announced during the course of October.”

Basque political prisoner tries to commit suicide

Basque political prisoner Txus Martin cut his veins on the 25th of September in an attempt at suicide, the prisoners’ support group anounced last week. The group also denounced the harsh conditions he has been subjected to, especially over the past five years in French jails, which have caused him psychological illnesses.

As happens every week, more than 50 vigils were held in towns across the Basque Country last Friday to support the more than 700 political prisoners held in 85 jails in France and Spain.

ALL UPDATES ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE

2010-10-08T11:52:00.002+01:00

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BASQUE INFO PODCAST

2010-07-23T11:44:00.002+01:00

http://tinyurl.com/2v9q5kl

BASQUE INFO 14 & 21/07/10

2010-07-23T11:43:00.000+01:00

• Pro-Independence solidarity and strength displayed in two nations
• Udalbiltza case begins with great show of support
• Youth mobilise for independence during the summer despite criminalization
• Prisoner loses 20 kilos on hunger strike

Pro-Independence solidarity and strength displayed in two nations
More than 10,000 people rallied in Donostia San Sebastian on the 10th of July to demand self-determination. The demonstration had been called by three Left pro-Independence parties to show solidarity in addition to the Catalan people who were demonstrating in Barcelona at the same time. Over one million people took part in the largest demonstration for self-government in Catalonia to protest against the Spanish authorities’ latest attack on Catalan autonomy.

Representatives of both nations attended the other’s rally in Donostia and Barcelona.

In Donostia the speakers said the demonstration was another step in the building of a broad pro-independence movement in the Basque Country. They said that the Country is on the move towards a new political scenario with resolution and commitment. They also called upon all political and social agencies and trade unions to join forces and establish alliances to work in the same direction.

Udalbiltza case begins with great show of support
On the 15th of July a trial started in the Spanish national court in Madrid against 22 Basque former councillors and mayors for their work in Udalbitza, the first Basque national institution. Udalbiltza was created in 1999 by 2,000 nationalist elected representatives to promote nation-building across the Basque Country. Since then the institution has been involved in many different projects to promote basque culture, true national bodies and help economic developing in deprived regions.

Now the 22 former elected representatives are facing between 15 and 20 years in jail as they are accused of being members of ETA for their political, public and peaceful work within Udalbiltza.

A broad support campaign has been organised and there have been many public expressions of support from different sections such as political parties, trade unions, culture, sport organisations and individuals and even from the international arena.

Around 10,000 people marched in Bilbao last Saturday to support the indicted.
There were representatives of all the Basque nationalist parties and even some Councillors of the Spanish Labour Party (in Government in Madrid and in the Basque autonomous region) took part in the demonstration.

The Egunkaria case is in everybody´s mind. The huge and broad support shown by Basque society brought about the absolving of all the indicted by the Spanish national court. The same lack of evidence and the clear political nature of both cases prove that the Udalbiltza case should also be thrown out. Nevetheless the solicitors have protested the attack on the right to defence as the Tribunal has refused to admit two experts’ testimonies and all the 165 documentary evidence, allowing only 20 witnesses out of the 140 presented by the defence. Among those prevented from taking part in the trial as witnesses are Irish priest Alec Reid, Scottish National Party MP Lloyd Quinan and former Idaho Senator Pete Cenarrusa.
The trial will continue this week and will then break for the summer until September.

Youth mobilise for independence during the summer despite criminalization
Basque youth will be very busy this summer as pro-independence mountain marches have been organised in every province of the Basque Country. The marches have the common slogan of “Wave the red flag!” and will last for at least three days.
Many more pro-Independence local events have been organised by the youth in festivals across the Basque Country.
Organised by the Basque pro-Independence youth organization SEGI, 200 youth marched in the northern Basque town of Biarritz on the 14th of July, the French national day, to denounce the French state and the capitalist system for their responsibility in the assimilation and oppression process in the Basque Country.
Meanwhile seventeen youth activists from Donostia San Sebastian have been tried in the Spanish National Court in Madrid for their alleged work in SEGI. Twenty-six were arrested in 2005 and most of them reported being tortured before being sent to jail. Now they are waiting for their sentences which could be up to 8 years in prison. Over past years another sixteen police operations of this kind have taken place against the pro-Independence youth organization SEGI which is banned in the Southern Basque Country.

Prisoner loses 20 kilos on hunger strike
Basque political prisoner Arkaitz Agirregabiria ended a 33-day hunger-strike against solitary confinement last Monday after reaching an agreement with the Director of the French jail where he is held. He will at last be transferred to another jail with other comrades. He has lost 20 kilos during the protest.
Another two prisoners who were arrested with Arkaitz last May are still on hunger-strike for the same reason in other French jails and some other comrades have begun hunger-strikes in solidarity with them.
Another prisoner is on hunger-strike in a southern Spanish jail to protest against the prison guards’ harassment and another is on hunger-strike in Portugal to protest against the appalling living conditions in which he is held.
Ends

Basque Info podcast

2010-07-01T21:39:00.000+01:00

This week's Basque Info podcast is available now including the main news of the week and and an interview with Batasuna representative about the recently signed strategic agreement.

Basque Info 30/06/10

2010-07-01T21:38:00.000+01:00

• Pro-independence workers fight back against Zapatero’s anti-labour measures
• Basque pro-independence activist arrested in Belfast
• Tributes to Basque refugees, murdered militants and prisoners

Pro-independence workers fight back against Zapatero’s anti-labour measures
Yesterday, Tuesday 29th, a general strike was organised in the southern Basque Country (under Spanish administration) by the Basque pro-independence trade unions, who have the majority of elected representatives in workers’ councils. The general strike was also supported by the Basque pro-independence left parties.

Last week the Spanish government passed several new legislative measures attacking workers’ rights. The Basque pro-independence trade unions immediately called a general strike.

Despite the deep economic crisis in the Spanish state and its impact on working people the only general strikes organised have been in the Basque Country. In June last year the Basque pro-independence trade unions organised a successful general strike followed by many demonstrations and campaigns in working places. Last month they also organised a public service general strike and finally yesterday they organised a yet another strike in all sectors. This time the Basque branch of the largest Spanish trade union also supported their call.

From the early hours of the morning groups of organised workers walked the industrial estates and participated in demonstrations and pickets. Later in the morning they joined students, clerical workers, pensioners and others to explain the issues to other citizens and remaining workers and to encourage them to join in the strike.

At midday around 65,000 people took part in demonstrations in the capital cities of the four Basque southern provinces. The slogan chosen for the day was “Stop impositions. Let’s defend our rights!” Representatives of trade unions told the large crowds that the Spanish Government’s new labour reform is the worst in 30 years. The legislation includes cuts in public services and pensions, reducing the workers’ redundancy payouts and other anti-labour measures.

The speakers also said that the general strike is not the end but the begining of a long and hard struggle that must be fought. They also spoke against social partnership as they consider it a mere tool of social control and blackmailing in the hands of the employers.

Thousands of people took also part in the evening demonstrations in the four capitals and in the many other local ones organised throughout the day.

The police charged against pickets in many places, especially in Bilbao and there were several arrests.

Basque pro-independence activist arrested in Belfast
At midnight last Thursday a Basque pro-independence activist was arrested by the police in Belfast in an operation assisted by the Spanish police.

He was then taken for interrogation to Antrim police station. The arrested person is Fermin Vila who stood for the European elections in 1994 as a pro-independence candidate for Herri Batasuna and reportedly has been on the run since 2000. He was also the Basque local councils’ spokesperson for demilitarization and represented the anti-conscription association.

Despite being released on Saturday on charges of “terrorist activities” in the north of Ireland he was immediately rearrested due to an existing European Arrest Warrant issued by the Spanish authorities.

During a preliminary hearing at Belfast Recorder's Court on Monday, his barrister Sean Devine said he would not be consenting to the extradition request. Judge Burgess said he was satisfied the defendant should be remanded in custody until the hearing of this matter.

A timetable for the case is expected to be agreed later this week, with a full hearing expected in September.

In a statement Fermin Vila said he was proud of his involvement in the Basque pro-independence struggle and that he was only sad to be jailed for being a Basque political refugee. He also stated his support for a peace process in the Basque Country and said there were many lessons to be learned from the Irish process.

Meanwhile, an appeal by another Basque pro-independence activist against an extradition order to face a charge of “glorifying terrorism” has been put on hold. Inaki de Juana, who was granted bail to live in Belfast, has not been seen since April. He was due to challenge a ruling that he should be returned to Spain for trial. But with his whereabouts unknown, judges in the Court of Appeal on Monday agreed to stay the case on the basis that it would be an abuse of process to go ahead with it.

Tributes to Basque refugees, murdered militants and prisoners
Today Wednesday 30th is thirty years since Basque political prisoner Jose Mari Sagardui “Gatza” was imprisoned. He is called “the Basque Mandela” as he is the longest-serving prisoner in Europe. His solicitors denounced his situation at a press conference last week and branded the Spanish authorities’ prison policy as cruel, inhumane and vindictive. He should have been released last year but instead, as is the case with many other Basque political prisoners, he has seen his sentence extended by new retroactive laws. Fifty-three Basque prisoners have already been in jail for more than 20 years and thirteen for more than 25 years.

Forty-nine year-old Basque political refugee Mikel Zalakain died last week after a short illness in Corsica. He left to escape repression in 1986. His entire family was then arrested and his father died in jail. Mikel was arrested in 1992 and spent one year in a French jail. After his release the French authorities ordered his confinement to Paris but he eventually broke the confinement and escaped to Corsica, where he spent the rest of his life on the run with his wife and son.

Both Gatza and Zalakain were remembered by the Pro-Independence movement and the weekly vigils in support of the prisoners.

A commemoration took place last weekend in the Basque Pyrenees to remember two Basque Volunteers who were murdered by the Spanish police there 20 years ago. Another volunteer was seriously wounded and was fortunate to survive the shots to his head at close range. The circumstances have never been officially clarified by the Spanish state.

A Basque prisoner’s mother and a friend who died in a road accident on their way to a prison visit 20 years ago were also commemorated over the weekend.

Basque Info 16 & 23/06/10

2010-07-01T21:37:00.000+01:00

• Pro-independence agreement of historical significance signed
• Struggle for civil and political rights receives new boost
• Growing international support for the Basque Country
• Prisoners in struggle receive support

Pro-independence agreement of historical significance signed

The Basque Pro-Independence Left and the social-democratic nationalist party Eusko Alkartasuna (Basque Solidarity) last Sunday signed a strategic agreement to achieve a Basque independent state.

The agreement has been branded as of historic importance as it is the first one of its kind in the Basque Country and also due to the different traditions and backgrounds both forces represent.

The agreement was signed during a two-hour long political meeting in the Euskalduna Congress Hall in Bilbao including speeches, traditional dance and music and videos. Three hundred members of each party attended, along with representatives from political parties from around the world like Ireland (Sinn Féin), Palestine, Flanders, Catalonia...

Months of common work and debate have led to the signing of this historic agreement. In it both parties commit themselves to develop unified action and strategy to achieve an independent Basque state through a peaceful, civic and democratic confrontation with the Spanish and French states. They set as a priority the resolution of the armed and political conflict through dialogue and negotiation.

The agreement declares the need for new political institutions for the Basque Country and it sets as an objective the achievement of social justice and equality between men and women.

The agreement is open to other progressive pro-independence forces to join in with special reference to the trade union movement. The signatories also talk of the need for joining forces with other pro-self-determination parties. The agreement also states the intention of respecting the differences and autonomy of each party and it highlights the need for new combined electoral platforms.

Pro-Spanish political forces reacted with threats of repression and among nationalist parties some welcomed it and some others demanded the end of ETA’s armed struggle.

Struggle for civil and political rights receives new boost

On the 11th of June dozens of people from different political backgrounds held a press conference to launch the conclusion of months of debate around the campaign for civil and political rights.

In January Adierazi EH!/Express Basque Country! was launched at a massive political event and since then they have been working at the national and local levels to build a grassroots movement in favour of basic democratic rights.

With the launch of the conclusions which include the definition of a bill of human, civil and political rights they want to boost the struggle for democracy and peace in the Basque Country.

This initiative is born out of the state of emergency the Basque Country lives under and the need of strong and organised grassroots response.

During the press conference they showed their support for those indicted in the Udalbiltza case who are facing up to 15 years in jail for their political work as local authority councillors and mayors in favour of the national construction of the Basque country. Political, labour and community organizations have also shown their support publicly over the past few weeks as the trial approaches. At the press conference Adierazi EH!/Express BC! also showed their support to the dozens of pro-independence youth who face many years in jail in soon-to-come trials. 3,000 people demonstrated last Saturday in Donostia/San Sebastian in favour of those same youth.

Three Basque pro-independence youth who escaped from the massive police operation in November appeared in Rome two weeks ago at a press conference to denounce the Spanish repression at the same time as Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero was due to meet his Italian counterpart Berlusconi. They were immediately arrested and imprisoned and are now facing extradition to the Spanish state.

Growing international support for the Basque Country

Representatives of Basque solidarity committees from across Europe gathered in the Basque coastal town of Zarautz ten days ago for their annual meeting. There they were briefed on the political situation, exchanged experiences, agreed new initiatives and showed once again their support to all of those struggling for a free Basque Country.

Year after year new solidarity committees are created and all of them organise an international week of solidarity in February as well as many other local campaigns and events.

Following the example of MEPs in Brussels, Swiss MPs launched last week a working group in the national Parliament to support a peace process in the Basque Country.

Prisoners in struggle receive support

Four Basque political prisoners are currently on hunger strike in different Spanish and French jails to protest against their isolation from other comrades.

Dozens of other political prisoners have once again lost their visits as their relatives refused intimate body searches.

Despite police harassment 130 people from the province of Navarre traveled 1,200 kilometres to the southern Spanish jail of Puerto, near Gibraltar, to show their support for the Basque prisoners who are kept there. Another bus from the Elgoibar town went to Castellon on the Mediterranean coast.

Hundreds of people took part in a march in Baiona, hundreds more attended the Solidarity Day in the Urola valley and dozens of local vigils were organised across the Basque Country showing the Basque prisoners do not stand alone.

Basque Info podcast

2010-06-05T12:06:00.002+01:00

Podcast including the main news of the week and an interview with an Ogra Shinn Féin activist who attended last Saturday's Basque youth demonstration in Brussels.

Basque Info 2/06/10

2010-06-05T11:58:00.001+01:00

• Hundreds of Basque youth take their protest of abuse of their rights to Brussels
• Youth denounces being kidnapped on two occasions
• Basque prisoners end hunger strikes
• 100,000 give support to the Basque language schools
• Leaked police dossier shows how they treat detainees
• Protest organised in Dublin against Spanish EU presidency

Hundreds of Basque youth take their protest of abuse of their rights to Brussels
In March different Basque youth organizations joined forces and launched a new group called GaztEHerria (Youth Nation). Their first event was a successful day-long event on Good Friday. At a press conference that day speakers, supported by dozens of other countries’ young activists, called for a demonstration in Brussels to protest the attacks against the Basque pro-independence youth, especially after 36 of them had been arrested in a police operation last November.

Finally last Saturday and despite police check points and harassment en route, hundreds of Basque youth marched in Brussels for their political and civil rights. On their way each one was identified and recorded by the Spanish police. Due to the check points the demonstration started three hours late.

After thousands of kilometres and very little sleep the Basque youth marched on the streets of the European capital behind a banner that read “Freedom for the Basque Country” and to the astonishment of the local Belgians.

The participants held hundreds of Basque flags and chanted slogans like “We are youth -- not terrorists!” or “Continue fighting, continue organising!” Representatives of youth organisations from Ireland, Germany, Catalonia, Flanders, Italy and Kurdistan also took part in the demonstration.

Youth denounces being kidnapped on two occasions
At a press conference last Sunday, Mikeldi Zenigaonaindia, a young former Basque prisoner, publicly stated that he had been kidnapped by the Spanish police on two separate occasions over the past five months.

These actions occurred to other Basque nationalists last year and one of them, Jon Anza, was finally found dead after missing for eleven months. Eventually, supported by his community and the local town mayor, Mikeldi decided to overcome fear and tell his story.

He related being taken to the forest and threatened to spend the rest of his life in jail or even to be killed if he didn’t collaborate with the police.

The local council passed a motion demanding this type of harassment and kidnapping end.

Basque prisoners end hunger strikes
Basque political prisoners in the Spanish jail of Jaen ended their hunger strike after 18 days. They demand the end of humiliating intimate body searches on their way to visits. They haven’t had any visits over the past seven months. They also demanded dignified living conditions and the end of solitary confinement.

Also the Basque prisoners in the French jail of Tarascon put an end to their 14 days’ hunger strike after one of their comrades was taken out of solitary confinement and permitted to rejoin them in their prison block.

The council of Elgoibar town passed a motion last week demanding the release of local political prisoner and Basque Pro-Independence Left’s leader Arnaldo Otegi who was arrested last October, along with five other comrades, when they were promoting a debate for a new strategy based on political and democratic means.

100,000 give support to the Basque language schools
Last Sunday up to 100,000 people attended the annual festival in favour of the Basque language schools in the province of Biscay.

Those who went to the fishing town of Bermeo enjoyed a great day out with different events such as rock and folk music gigs, theatre, clowns, games and great local food and drink.

The regional pro-Spanish government authorities who attended had to hear numerous criticisms of their treatement of the Basque language despite it having official status in that part of the country.

Leaked police dossier shows how they treat detainees
After three Basque prisoners’ solicitors, one renowned artist and six former prisoners were arrested last 14th of April an official police document was found. It seems that a policeman lost it during the police operation.

The document has now been published by Basque newspapers. It gives very clear instructions as to what treatment should be given to the arrested. The solicitors and the artist should be “exquisitely” treated at all times while the interrogations conducted with rest of the detainees should “pursue the obtention of a declaration which will ratify the judge’s accusations”.

After the five days under the incommunicado regime the solicitors and the artist said they treated in a correct manner while the rest of the arrested reported being tortured with plastic bags, beatings and sexual harassment.

Protest organised in Dublin against Spanish EU presidency
This Friday the Dublin Basque Solidarity Committee calls all to attend the last in the series of three protests against the EU Presidency being held by a state in which repression of Basque political activists and torture is endemic, along with the renewal of state kidnap, torture and murder gangs. 16.30, Friday 4th June, Spanish Legation office, Molesworth Street, Dublin.

Basque Info 26/05/10

2010-06-05T11:57:00.001+01:00

Thousands march in support of youth activists
Another successful Basque language festival
Alleged ETA activists arrested
“Time to stop playing with prisoners’ lives” say relatives

Thousands march in support of youth activists

6,500 people demonstrated in Irunea/Pamplona last Saturday against torture and bans on political parties as well as to support the Basque pro-independence youth. The demonstration was supported by many political parties, trade unions and community organisations.

Since the Basque pro-independence youth organisations were banned in 2001 more than 200 youth have been arrested across the Basque Country for their political work. During the police operation last November, 36 youth were arrested and many of them reported having being tortured.

Speakers at the end of the demonstration stated that the Spanish state is not a democratic one. They also stated unequivocally:

“We are pro-independence youth and we want to build the Basque state of the future. That’s why we work hard in our neighbourhoods and towns. Because of that the French and Spanish states brand us as terrorists. But despite that repression we will continue fighting until we get the type of Basque Country we want.”

They also called on the Basque society to build a solid wall of resistance against the attacks on civil and political rights.

Another successful Basque language festival

Despite obstacles put in place by the local pro-Spanish town Mayor, 30,000 people took part at the annual Basque language schools’ festival in Irunea/Pamplona last Sunday.

“Despite all obstacles”, the slogan chosen for this occasion, reflected the daily problems these schools have to face due to the policies of the Spanish unionist regional government.

The day-long festival had activities for all: food, workshops, live music, games, etc.

The festival has been growing in support over the past 15 years and raises much-needed funds for Basque-language public schools in the province of Navarre.

Alleged ETA activists arrested

Five people were arrested last Thursday near Baiona/Bayonne (northern Basque Country) by the French police.

Three of them were armed and according to the Spanish authorities one of them could be one of the ETA’s top men. The Spanish Interior Minister has been repeatedly branding all of the arrested over the past year with the same title.

Four of them were eventually confined to jail yesterday.

There were protests against the arrests over the weekend across the Basque Country.

“Time to stop playing with prisoners’ lives” say relatives.

The hard conditions Basque prisoners suffer in jail were denounced by their relatives at a a press conference last week.

Recently four prisoners received beatings, visits are lost on a regular basis due to the refusal to suffer humiliating intimate body searches, prisoners are being constantly transfered from jail to jail, sentences are being extended...

Some prisoners haven’t seen their relatives in many months.

One spokesperson said “The criminal prison policy is a laboratory of repression where they do continous tests. Solitary confinment, isolation, blackmail and harassment is what we get every day.”

Basque Info podcast 19/05/10

2010-05-20T19:10:00.000+01:00

You can now listen to this week's Basque Info podcast including the main news of the week and an interview with Paul Bilbao from Kontseilua, the Council of the Basque language groups, about last Saturday's historical rally.

Basque Info bulletin 19/05/10

2010-05-20T19:08:00.000+01:00

• Massive demonstration in favour of the Basque language
• Hunger strikes and protests in jails
• International support for the Basque youth movement
• Latin-American revolutionaries’ grand children support the Basque Country

Massive demonstration in favour of the Basque language

Last Saturday thousands upon thousands rallied in Irunea/Pamplona to demand their right to live in the Basque language. According to the local pro-Spanish police and media 15,000 people took part. The organisers claimed it was the largest demonstration ever in the province in support of the Basque language.

Such a popular response didn’t come to much surprise although the organisers said their expectations had been surpassed. After years of contempt and attacks from the regional government there was a lot of anger within the community.

The Basque language is not official in all areas of the province of Navarre. Basque language schools have to overcome huge obstacles while the regional government promote English language schools as opposed to the Basque language ones, parents see their rights denied to take their children to Basque language medium schools, adults teaching organizations and media have seen their funds dramatically cut, civil servants are not required to be able to speak in Basque, the Basque speaking community are made invisible and constantly ignored...

The demonstrators had to confront the cold and rain but rallied in a very festive manner with displays of Basque traditions and culture through music and street animation.

At the end of the rally Paul Bilbao, the newly elected general secretary of Kontseilua, the Basque language community organizations council, demanded a new scenario for the national language including new policies and new laws.

He also said the successful demonstration was the starting point of a new phase of struggle to make reality the right to live in Basque language.

Hunger strikes and protests in jails
The Basque political prisoners in the southern Spanish jail of Jaen begun an indefinitive hunger strike last week to protest against the humiliating searches their relatives have to go through when going to visits. Among the prisoners is Jose Mari Sagardui “Gatza” who in July will be 30 years in jail.

Basque prisoner Joseba Fernandez ended last week a 30-day hunger strike he started to protest against him being the only Basque prisoner in the French jail of Poitiers. He is now with a comrade.

The 14 Basque political female prisoners in the French jail of Fleury were sent to solitary confinement last week due to their protests against the way one of them had been treated by the prison guards after an arson accident. The prisoner had to be taken to hospital for smoke poisoning and two broken wrists. One of the protesters was also beaten by guards.

Hundreds of people took part in the more than 60 weekly vigils across the country to support the rights of Basque political prisoners. There were also support events such dinners and games in various towns.

International support for the Basque youth movement
The new broad Basque pro-independence youth umbrella group GaztEHerria is touring Europe to gather support for their political and civil rights.

Last week they met political parties in the European and Flemish Parliaments. In Brussels they met with the European Free Alliance, the umbrella group for the Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru among others and the European Left which includes Sinn Féin and other left-wing parties. All of them showed their support for the Basque youth and their campaign.

GaztEHerria was formed last March by many different Basque youth groups as a broad front for independence and youth rights. They organised a national event in Easter with thousands of youth in attendance and called a demonstration on the 29th of May in Brussels with the support of 50 revolutionary youth groups from across the world.

Latin-American revolutionaries’ grand children support the Basque Country
Last Saturday a hugely symbolic event was organised at the Simon Bolivar Museum in the small village of Bolibar near Bilbao. Simon Bolivar, who was of Basque descent, was the great liberator of the Americas and inspires the current Venezuela revolution.

At the museum the grand children of some other freedom fighters like Cesar Augusto Sandino, Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa gathered to pay tribute to their grand parents and to show their support for the democratic process in the Basque Country. Basque Pro-Independence Left spokesperson Tasio Erkizia said at the event it is very much appreciated such support and that the example of struggle for the social justice and freedom represented by Bolivar, Sandino, Zapata and Villa is very much alive in the Basque Country at these historical times.

Basque Info podcast

2010-05-13T10:38:00.000+01:00

Listen to our latest Basque Info podcast.

Basque Info 5 & 12/05/10

2010-05-13T10:37:00.000+01:00

Basque Info 5 & 12/05/10

• Anti-repression groups against criminalization
• Spanish Ombudsman denies torture cases
• Four youth activists arrested facing extradition
• Tens of thousands gather to support Basque language in the north
• Police look for Iñaki de Juana
• More repression in prisons

Anti-repression groups against criminalization
Three weeks ago three Basque political prisoners’ solicitors were arrested along with another seven former prisoners and relatives.

The solicitors and two ex-prisoners were finally sent to jail. Ten days ago a press conference was organised to make public a declaration of support towards all of them and against the criminalization campaign launched by the Spanish government.

The declaration has received the support of several political parties, trade unions and solicitors’ associations. All of them demand respect for the right to defend political prisoners without harassment and interference.

Those present at the press conference claimed the importance of the solidarity work to the prisoners and also the contribution made by those arrested to achieve a scenario of democracy, justice and peace.

They also expressed their determination to continue with their work despite the wide repression.

Spanish Ombudsman denies torture cases
Enrique Mugica, former Spanish Justice Minister and current Ombudsman, yesterday told a United Nations commission against torture that he hasn’t came across with any cases of torture. Last November Mr. Mugica was appointed head of the so called National Mechanism against Torture.

Last year alone 62 Basques claimed to have been tortured. In October one of the few torture cases to be brought before a judge will take place.

Among those present at the meeting there were representatives of the UN Sub-Committee against Torture, the Group for the Prevention of Torture of Geneva and Amnesty International. All of them have continuously demanded that the Spanish government end the incommunicado regime as the best way to prevent torture. Those calls have been ignored.

The Spanish Coordination against Torture wasn’t invited to the meeting. Basque organizations are part of the coordination and criticised that the meeting was held in secret.

Four youth activists arrested facing extradition
Last November 36 Basque pro-independence youth activists were arrested, tortured and imprisoned for their political and public work.

Some were able to escape the police operation and took refuge in the north of the Basque Country (under French occupation). Last Friday four of them were arrested following a European Arrest Warrant launched by the Spanish authorities. They are now awaiting a hearing while remanded in custody.

Protests against the arrests were organised in their southern home towns and also in the north. The anti-repression group Askatasuna and the youth organization Segi criticised the criminalization campaign launched by the Spanish Interior Minister who claimed they were an ETA unit ready to act. Those claims were branded as mere propaganda as the four had been living openly since they moved north; they had registered themselves and had work contracts.

Representatives of the new youth movement GaztEHrria met MEP’s in Brussels during the week to explain them the situation of repression against the Basque youth. They also called for a demonstration on the 29th of May at the European capital.

Tens of thousands gather to support Basque language in the north
Despite the bad weather around 50,000 people (less than the usual 70,000) took part in the day-long event called Herri Urrats (People’s Step) last Sunday.

Herri Urrats is the annual festival in support of the northern Basque language schools and it combines the demands for the official recognition of the language and a family-friendly atmosphere with culture displays, live music, food, sports...

It’s also a crucial way of fund raising for the Basque schools in the north. The money raised at this year’s festival will be used to build two new schools.

Police look for Iñaki de Juana
Former Basque political prisoner Iñaki de Juana, who is fighting extradition to Spain, has been missing from his West Belfast home for at least one month according to the police.

Judge Burgess had previously agreed to extradite him under spurious charges of glorifying terrorism for a letter allegedly written by Iñaki de Juana himself. He had always denied that he was the author of the letter, and that he was willing to cooperate from Belfast.

The case was pending an appeal hearing. Judge Burgess called a new hearing for the 14th of May to clarify Iñaki de Juana’s situation.

The Spanish right-wing party and the media mounted pressure on the Spanish government accusing it of allowing Iñaki de Juana to escape.

More repression in prisons
Since the introduction of new searching measures in jails six months ago, hundreds of visits have been cancelled and thousands of relatives haven’t been able to see their loved ones.

Both political prisoners and their relatives have fought back against the measures which include the prison guards physically searching the visitors who haven’t allowed themselves to be humiliated.

Despite the statement released by the Basque Political Prisoners Collective EPPK at the end of March claiming victory, some jail governors are still imposing those searches and consequently visits are still being cancelled.

The situation is especially hard due to the already difficult situation that involves prison visits. Relatives have to travel hundreds of miles to get to the jails with the uncertainty of whether they will be able to have a visit or not.

Those trips are very expensive and in order to alleviate the economic impact the relatives have to organised buses and collective vans often driven by volunteer drivers. 16 people have been killed over the past 20 years and hundreds injured in road accidents on their way to prison visits.

Basque Info podcast

2010-04-29T21:12:00.000+01:00

Listen to this week's Basque Info podcast including the main news of the week and an interview with Ógra Shinn Féin national organiser Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire who will tell us about his recent visit to the BC.

Basque Pro-Independence Left calls on ETA and the Spanish government to be constructive

2010-04-29T21:10:00.000+01:00

Basque Info 28/04/10

• Basque Pro-Independence Left calls on ETA and the Spanish government to be constructive
• New campaign for northern Basque autonomy launched
• Campaign for civil and political rights gains momentum
• Egunkaria Five thank supporters and warn about new attacks

Basque Pro-Independence Left calls on ETA and the Spanish government to be constructive

Around 200 prominent members of the Basque Pro-Independence Left took part in a press conference last Saturday in Irunea/Pamplona.

In the document launched at the press conference they set the first steps needed to build the democratic process. The document says: “The democratic process needs the people’s pressure in order to make untenable the position of those who want to maintain the current blockade situation and in order to make it impossible any sort of imposition or interference.

The change of political cycle which opens now also refers to the shapes and methods of struggle. The national and social liberation process must be based on exclusively political activity.”

The Basque Pro-Independence Left has asked the Spanish government and ETA to respond the Brussels Declaration in a constructive manner. On the 30th March, 20 international leaders signed a declaration read in Brussels by Brian Currin where they demanded that ETA call a permanent and verifiable cease-fire, while the Spanish government should respond appropriately to permit new political and democratic efforts to advance, differences to be resolved and lasting peace attained.

Basque political parties, trade unions and social movements welcomed the outcome of the press conference as a very positive move towards resolving the conflict.

New campaign for northern Basque autonomy launched

Last Saturday Batera, the umbrella group in favour of a northern Basque autonomy launched a new campaign for the coming years with the objective of achieving the official recognition of the French-occupied Basque Country by 2014.

34,000 people took part in a referendum for Basque autonomy in March which according to the organisers shows there are enough conditions to re-boost the campaign.

The campaign would include four different phases including an inclusive and public debate on the type of autonomy, lobbying the French government and an official referendum and local elections to the new Basque Assembly.

Campaign for civil and political rights gains momentum

Hundreds of people packed the Gernika Theatre last Saturday, the day before the 73rd anniversary of the town’s bombing, at a very colourful and emotional event.

The event was organised by ‘Adierazi EH! / Express BC!’ – a platform which was launched to demand civil and political rights last January.

Citizens affected by the Spanish repression for their work in political parties, local councils, youth organizations, language groups...etc came to the stage to denounce those attacks and to tell the Spanish government they will not be silenced.

Adierazi EH! / Express BC! continues to grow and intends to become an effective people’s wall to stop attacks against the Basque Country.

Egunkaria Five thank supporters and warn about new attacks

Last Sunday morning in the Euskalduna Conference Hall in Bilbao, thousands of people, including political and social representatives, attended an event organised by the Egunkaria Five to thank the support they have received during the seven years of the judiciary process against them.

The process started in 2003 with the closing down of the Basque language newspaper and the arrest, torture and imprisonment of 10 members of the board of directors. Finally five of them sat at the Spanish Special Court last January accused of being members of ETA for setting up the paper. Just two weeks ago all of them were acquitted.

After expressing their gratitude the Egunkaria Five asked for support and solidarity for those indicted in the Udalbiltza case. This case which will be judged soon will sit on the accused bench 22 local councillors for setting up the first Basque national institution made up of local representatives. They are also accused of being members of ETA for doing so.

Dublin Basque Solidarity protest accuses presidency of European Union of repression and torture of Basque political activists and journalists.

That the Presidency of the European Union is currently "in the hands of a repressive and torturing state” was the message clearly declared on the placards of a demonstration on Saturday afternoon (24th May 2010) in O'Connell Street, the main street of Dublin's capital. The demonstration was organised by the Dublin branch of the Irish Basque Solidarity Committees and was protesting against repression and torture of Basques by the Spanish state, who currently hold the Presidency of the EU. Incidents of repression by the Spanish state included the banning of Basque political parties and electoral platforms as well as arrests of their activists, closure of Basque newspapers and radio stations and arrests of journalists, banning of youth organisations and arrests of their activists and cruel treatment of over 500 Basque political prisoners (another 200 are held in France).

The Dublin branch of the IBSC had organised the protest as one of a series of protests against Spain’s current Presidency of the EU while it acts as it does with repression and torture. Another two dates are scheduled for protests in at the Spanish Legation and EU offices in Dublin: Friday 7th May and Friday 4th June, the month that Spain's term of EU Presidency comes to an end. The first is intended also to mark the EU's official day which although on 9th May, is on a Sunday and not during normal office working hours of the Spanish Legation.

Basque Info podcast

2010-04-15T11:37:00.000+01:00

You can also listen to our Basque Info podcast here including an interview with Ainara Mendiola from the Egunkaria support international campaign.

Basque Info 7 & 14/04/10

2010-04-15T11:34:00.000+01:00

Basque Info 7 & 14/04/10

• Most successful Homeland Day in a decade celebrated
• Egunkaria Five acquitted
• 342 years in jail for 40 Pro-Independence Left activists
• Prisoners attacked

Most successful Homeland Day in a decade celebrated
More than 15,000 people braved heavy rain and police checkpoints to take part in the Basque Homeland’s Day’s rally on Easter Sunday.

One column started from Hendaia, in the French occupied northern Basque Country and another one from Irun in the Spanish occupied south. Both met at the artificial border to hold the rally’s banner where “We need a state Independence” slogan could be read.

The national rally had been called by the recently established grassroots network Independentistak (Pro-Independence People). Several progressive and nationalist parties and trade unions had also called to take part in the rally.

Among an atmosphere of optimism and unity political leaders highlighted the importance of such an event in the organising of a broad pro-independence movement.

Different speakers from the citizen’s movement Independentistak stressed the need for a grassroots based movement and encouraged ordinary citizens to become protagonist in the new phase of the struggle for independence.

Well known musicians, dancers, artists and social movement’s activists also took to the stage and showed their commitment in favour of independence.

The youth also played a key central role. Thousands of pro-independence youth had previously gathered on Friday in Durango, near Bilbao at an all day long event organised by the recently launched pro-independence youth umbrella group GaztEHerria.

Despite the dozens of police checkpoints and constant police harassment thousands of youth took part in workshops, discussion and debates, street animation, theatre, food and music activities from morning to night.

Among those youth there were representatives of dozens of youth revolutionary organizations including those from Ireland, Kurdistan, Bolivia, Catalonia and Norway. At a press conference around 100 of them showed their support and also that of more than 50 youth organizations from around the world to the Basque Pro-Independence youth. This is at a time of huge repression against youth activities and a protest was called that will take place in Brussels on the 29th of May.

Egunkaria Five acquitted
Last Monday the Audiencia Nacional, Spain's Special no-jury 'anti-terrorist' Court, finally delivered its verdict, which was "not guilty" for each of the five accused Egunkaria journalists. The ‘not guilty’ verdict was related to being a part of ETA or of helping them by accepting their direction or by passing information to them. Although the 'evidence' against them was of such poor quality that the State Prosecutor had stated they should have no case to answer, the accused had been waiting since February for the verdict.

Two right-wing organisations, Justice and Dignity and Association of Victims of Terrorism, were permitted to prosecute the case and demanded between 12 and 14 years prison and barring from public office for 15 years. They also sought that the five journalists should remain in prison for a minimum of ten years. Those organisations still have the right to appeal and may do so.

A number of journalists, including some of those just acquitted, are awaiting trial on charges of financial wrongdoing, such as tax evasion, and fraudulent claiming of social welfare allegedly committed to fundraise ETA. The latest verdict will be of great help to dismiss these allegations.

The Spanish Special Court also decreed that the newspaper Egunkaria, the first daily Basque-language newspaper in the world, had been closed down without due cause and furthermore in violation of the Spanish Constitution. The Court also appeared to validate the claims of the five that they had been tortured.

The Irish Basque Solidarity Committees hosted a number of public meetings in Derry, Belfast and Dublin earlier this year to publicise the case of the five journalists and of the newspaper. The meetings were addressed by the coordinator of international solidarity with Egunkaria campaign, who travelled from the Basque Country.

In the midst of the celebrations at this judgement, campaigners said that it cannot be forgotten that a Basque newspaper was arbitrarily closed down, many journalists arrested and intimidated, all losing their jobs; that five journalists were tortured; that despite the state prosecutor stating that the paper should not have been closed down and that the five had no case the answer, that years later they went on trial and that it took well over two months after the conclusion of the case to deliver a verdict. Furthermore, no-one among the perpetrators of these acts of injustice has been charged with oppression or with torture.

342 years in jail for 40 Pro-Independence Left activists
In the aftermath of the hugely successful Basque Homeland Day the Spanish Special Court after eight years of judiciary process finally indicted 40 well known members of the Pro-Independence Left for allegedly being members of ETA and asked for 372 years in prison in total. All the activities they are accused of are political. Some of there still remain in jail and most of them have been released on bail.

75 pro-independence bars and clubs were also closed down during the process.

Many different political parties spoke out against this attack and the Pro-Independence Left told the Spanish Labour Party in government that the democratic process is unstoppable and that repression won’t make the movement change their decision to bring the confrontation with the State to the political arena.

Prisoners attacked
Basque political prisoner Sergio Polo was badly beaten by Spanish policemen whilst being transferred from one jail to other. Two other Basque prisoners were attacked by common prisoners following prison guard’s instructions over the past two weeks.

Prisoners Alex Belasko and Premin San Pedro began hunger strikes to protest against their confinement and humiliating searches to relatives whilst coming to visits.

Despite the end of the protest campaign and victory against new searching measures, there have been some incidents in some particular jails over the past two weeks.

Thousands of people have also taken part in many different events and vigils to show solidarity to the more than 750 Basque political prisoners including trips to distant jails and fasts.

International declaration of support for democratic process launched

2010-04-01T20:42:00.001+01:00

Basque Info 31/03/10

International declaration of support for democratic process launched
Two weeks after Jon Anza’s body was found, silence remains
International Conference on Self-Determination backs indicted Basque political representatives
Thousands demand economic model change
8 youth arrested in the north
West Belfast supports Inaki de Juana’s fight against extradition

International declaration of support for democratic process launched

The former President of South Africa Frederick de Klerk, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the former Irish Prime Minister Albert Reynolds, former SDLP leader John Hume and former Irish President Mary Robinson and 16 other international leaders including four Nobel Peace Prize winners and people specialised in peace processes and conflict resolution yesterday launched a joint statement to support the democratic process in the Basque Country.

In a statement presented in the European Parliament by the South African mediator Brian Currin, the international leaders welcome and commend the proposed steps and new public commitment of the Basque Pro-independence Left to "exclusively political and democratic" means and a "total absence of violence" to attain its political goals.

In their opinion, "fully carried out, this commitment can be a major step in ending the last remaining conflict in Europe".

The statement continues: “We note the expectation that the coming months may present a situation where the commitment to peaceful, democratic and no-violent means becomes an irreversible reality. To that end, we appeal to ETA to support this commitment by declaring a permanent, fully verified ceasefire.

“Such a declaration, appropriately responded to by the Spanish Government, would permit new political and democratic efforts to advance, differences to be resolved and lasting peace attained".

Spanish politicians expressed their contempt when asked for their opinion by journalists but the majority of media and the Spanish government silenced the declaration.

The Basque Pro-Independence Left welcomed the international support for a democratic process based on dialogue, negotiation and respect of the Basque Country’s rights. According to the Basque Left the declaration will help to put the Basque Country in the international agenda.

Nevertheless the Basque Pro-Independence Left reminded people that the main workload and responsibility lies on the Basque Country and called on the Basque left to act and work together as this will be the engine of change and the only guarantor for political change.

The press release goes on to say that the upcoming Basque Homeland Day on Easter Sunday will be a great opportunity to show the French and Spanish states and the rest of the world that the democratic process is already in progress and that it is unstoppable.

Thousands upon thousands are expected to take part in the unitarian demonstration organised by the recently launched Independentistak network that will link the north and the south of the Basque Country on Easter Sunday.

The first Basque Homeland Day was organised in 1932 and it was inspired by the 1916 Irish Easter Rising. Since the first event was organised it has attracted dozens of thousands of people and it was banned during the 40-year Franco dictatorship.

Two weeks after Jon Anza’s body was found, silence remains

Many questions arose when the body of Basque former political prisoner and ETA member Jon Anza was found in a morgue in the French city of Toulouse. The body had been there for almost a year but apparently the police failed to find it.

Two weeks on and even more questions confront the official silence. Against normal procedures and without further explanation the hospital was told by the police to keep Jon Anza’s body in the morgue for almost one year. His passport was in the Lost Objects Office for months but it didn’t seem to be of any interest for the police. There is no explanation about the failure by police to respond after the hospital where Jon Anza was brought to semi-conscious reported his condition to the police three times.

The police haven’t questioned the owners of restaurants in the area where Jon Anza was found. The street cameras haven’t been checked.

In the meantime protests continued over the weekend in the Basque Country, a multilingual blog about Jon Anza’s case has been censored, his family’s doctor was denied the right to take part at the autopsy and the hospital staff, municipal police and the fire brigade which found his body remain dead silent.

International Conference on Self-Determination backs indicted Basque political representatives

International experts on self-determination and representatives from Ireland, Brittany, Kurdistan, Catalonia and the Basque Country took part last weekend in a conference organised by Udalbiltza, the Basque political representatives national council, in Donostia/San Sebastian.

Those who took part stressed the relevance of this right in modern Europe and showed their support for the 22 councillors indicted by the Spanish authorities for their work within Udalbiltza. The national institution was banned by the Spanish government in 2003, which alleged that it was set up under ETA’s instructions. Dozens of its members were arrested and imprisoned many of them. Three still remain in jail. The trial is expected to start soon and those indicted face long terms in jail accused of being members of ETA.

Thousands demand economic model change

More than 20,000 people took part last Saturday in demonstrations organised by the Basque nationalist trade unions in the southern four province’s capitals.

The demonstrations had been called to protest against the Spanish government recently announced labour reforms and to demand a new economic model.

The Basque nationalist trade unions hold the majority of representatives in the workers councils in the Basque Country, are class-conscious and are against social partnership and for an alternative economic model and self-determination.

8 youth arrested in the north

Eight pro-independence youth were arrested by the French police yesterday in the Basque province of Lapurdi. They have been accused of taking part in attacks against estate agencies. Hundreds of people protested in their home towns in the evening.

West Belfast supports Inaki de Juana against extradition

An emergency public meeting to raise awareness about the impending extradition of Belfast-based Basque ex-prisoner Iñaki de Juana held in Caulfield’s Bar in west Belfast on Friday March 26 resolved to strengthen the campaign to stop the extradition from proceeding.

The emergency meeting, attended by more than 100 people and chaired by veteran republican activist Joe Austin, was addressed by Sinn Fein MLA Paul Maskey, Michael Culbert from Coiste na n-Iarchimí, Niall Murphy from Kevin Winters Solicitors and Emma Clancy from the Don’t Extradite the Basques Campaign.

A sign-on statement calling for the extradition request to be rejected was launched at the event. Participants resolved that the next step in the campaign would be to seek a meeting with British government representatives to present the sign-on statement. A solidarity demonstration will also be organised to show the huge level of community support for de Juana at his appeal hearing in the High Court on June 28.

Basque Info 17 and 24/03/10

2010-03-25T19:33:00.000Z

Basque Info 17 and 24/03/10

• Jon Anza’s corpse found in a Toulouse’s morgue
• French policeman killed in shooting with ETA members
• Nationalist vote divided in the north
• New pro-independence youth organization launched
• Basques in danger of being extradited
• Prisoners on hunger strike

Jon Anza’s corpse found in a Toulouse’s morgue

After 11 months missing Jon Anza’s corpse was found in a morgue in the French city of Toulouse on March 11th. Jon Anza’s disappearance was publicly denounced by his family at the time and ETA released a statement claiming his membership. All of them pointed at the Spanish security forces as those responsible for his disappearance.

Since then a campaign has tirelessly mobilised thousands of people and filled the Basque Country walls and beyond with posters including Jon Anza’s picture and the question “where is Jon?”

The campaign met with the Spanish authorities and media’s complete silence but several reports published by French journalists over the past months confirmed what everybody in the Basque Country suspected.

The case is now under investigation by the French authorities but numerous questions have arisen. According to the information released by the authorities on April 29th Jon Anza was found on the street and taken to hospital were he died on May 11th. He arrived to Toulouse by train on April 18th. Where was he for 11 days? Why did no one report it? Why wasn’t he included on the missing persons list? Why has he been found now?

The whole protocol failed since the very moment Jon Anza was found on the street. Even the case’s French prosecutor can’t explain it and now the case is under secret and is being supervised by a judge. All hypotheses are open and the only one dismissed has been the Spanish Interior Minister’s one.

People took to the streets in the Basque Country as soon as the news emerged. The largest demonstration took place in Jon Anza’s home town Donostia/San Sebastian on Sunday 14th. 8,000 people marched to demand the truth.

On Monday 15th about 100 people travelled to Toulouse to support Jon Anza’s family and demand to have the family’s doctor present at the autopsy. This right was denied by the French authorities and the police attacked the supporters outside the hospital with tear gas.

The Spanish authorities have denied any involvement in the disappearance and have threatened to prosecute those who imply the opposite. A relative of Jon Anza was called to appear before the judge on Monday for the Sunday’s march.

French policeman killed in a shooting with ETA members

A French policeman was shot dead in an incident which happened outside Paris on Tuesday 16th.

According to police sources around eight alleged ETA members stole two cars from a car dealer and shortly after one of the cars were stopped by police officers. When they were arresting the suspects the other car arrived and there was a shooting which resulted on the death of one of the policemen.

One of the alleged ETA members was arrested and the rest escaped by car and on foot.

This is the first time ETA has killed a French policeman. The French and Spanish authorities condemned the killing and promised to be implacable with ETA.

The Basque Pro-Independence Left regretted the incident and asked ETA to reaffirm its commitment with the democratic process.

On March 20th ETA released a statement where they said they are ready to give all the steps needed to help the political change. The statement was dated before the Jon Anza’s body had been found and also before the fatal shooting.

Nationalist vote divided in the north

The French regional elections had some different outcomes for the Basque nationalist parties who contested separately.

The Basque Nationalist Party emerged as the main party among the nationalists with 7,000 votes. The Pro-Independence Left called for a vote of protest and got 4,000 as the Basque Country doesn’t have its own regional institutions. Other nationalists supported the green Europe Ecologie platform.

Outside the majority of polling stations the platform in favour of Basque institutions organised a parallel un-official referendum where the 96% of the 27,000 people who took part said to be in favour of some sort of official recognition for the Basque Country. The referendum organiser congratulated those who took part and criticised the French authorities for trying to ban it.

New pro-independence youth organization launched

100 young people from many different organizations launched a new Basque pro-independence youth group on March 11th. The new group called GaztEHerria (similar to “Basque Youth Nation”) announced that it will work for independence from a left wing perspective and that it will organise an all day long national event on Good Friday in Durango as a first step of what they want to become a mass movement.

Prisoners in hunger strike

From the beginning of the year the Basque political prisoners are immersed in a campaign of protests against their deteriorating situation and in favour of political status. Prisoners have held hunger strikes, lock ups in their cells, picket lines, communications strikes...

Nine prisoners have been in hunger strike since the 1st of March in the French jail of Fleury.

Basques in extradition danger.

London-based Basque pro-independence youth Garikoitz Ibarluzea was arrested last week in his work place by police and has been in jail since.

A campaign has been already organised and can be joined on Facebook:

He appeared via video link in the London Court last Monday to hear about the Spanish extradition request against him. Supporters outside the court buildings claimed the charges are false and based on testimonies gained under torture. Garikoitz himself was tortured in 2002 and moved to London in 2006.

Another Basque facing extradition risk is Belfast based Iñaki de Juana. His case is on appeal at the Belfast High Court. An emergency public meeting regarding the extradition of Iñaki de Juana to Spain will be held on Friday night, March 26, at 7.30pm at Caulfield’s Bar in west Belfast.

The meeting will be addressed by speakers including a Sinn Fein Assembly member, Michael Culbert from ex-prisoners’ support group Coiste, and Iñaki de Juana’s legal team. Veteran Republican activist Joe Austin will chair the discussion.

The event aims to highlight the grave miscarriage of justice that is unfolding, and to show that the local community is rallying behind Iñaki.

The discussion will be followed by a solidarity night with local musicians performing.

Basque Info on Facebook

2010-03-17T11:04:00.001Z

Join the Basque Info page in Facebook and keep up to date with the latest news from the Basque conflict: http://www.facebook.com/basqueinfo

Basque Info radio program podcast

2010-03-17T11:03:00.001Z

http://www.archive.org/details/basqueinfo4ww103010

Basque Info 10/03/09

2010-03-17T11:02:00.003Z

Basque Info 10/03/09

• Spanish Court sentences Arnaldo Otegi to two years in jail
• Spain launches international criminalization campaign
• Thousands call for pro-independence unity
• Basque women take to the streets on International Women’s Day
• No justice for Basques

Spanish Court sentences Arnaldo Otegi to two years in jail

Last week the Spanish Special Court sentenced Basque Pro-Independence leader Arnaldo Otegi to two years in jail for his speech at a Basque political prisoners solidarity event.

On the 9th June 2005 Otegi told the crowd that the Basque Country could achieve a democratic scenario through negotiations and he added “we owe that to the Basque political prisoners, refuggees and all comrades who have fallen in the struggle and we will achieve it”.

The Spanish Special Court charged Otegi with an offence of “glorifying terrorism”. In the sentence the judges go on to say that Otegi can’t compare Nelson Mandela with Basque political prisoner Joxe Mari Sagardui “Gatza”, who has been in jail for 30 years now, beacuse Mandela “never used violence”.

South African hero Nelson Mandela was the funder of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing of the ANC, in 1961, publicly defended the need for armed struggle, organized guerrila camps and up until 2008 he was on the USA’s “terrorist list”.

During his trial Otegi defended the Pro-Independence Left’s position to develop a democratic process through exclusively political means while the judges showed their lack of imparciality doing jokes and comments about him.

Otegi was arrested last October just at the beginning of the Pro-Independence Left’s internal debate and has remained in jail since then.

Last weekend a letter writen by Otegi was read at the Sinn Féin’s Ard Fhéis (Annual National Congress). Otegi asked the international community to support the democratic process in the Basque Country.

During the Ard Fhéis there were many motions in support of the Basque struggle for self-determination, the Basque political prisoners and Belfast-based Basque activists fighting extradition Inaki De Juana and Arturo “Benat” Villanueva who last week saw his extradition request finally dismissed.

Spain launches international criminalization campaign

Last week the Spanish authorities claimed that the Venezuelan revolutionary government of Hugo Chavez was supporting ETA. The claims came after a judge in the Spanish Special Court charged several members of ETA and the Colombian guerrillas FARC with “terrorism” for an alleged attempted plot to kill the Colombian president Uribe while visiting Spain.

The Spanish judged went on to say that a training camp had been set up by ETA and FARC in Venezuela and accused the Venezuelan government of helping them out.

President Hugo Chavez responded by saying that if the Spanish Special Court could do it it would charge as a “terrorist” Simon Bolivar, who fought the Spanish Empire to free many Latin American nations in the 19th century.

This international criminalization campaign comes when many international mediators and groups are putting pressure on the Spanish government to respond in a positive manner to the Basque Pro-Independence Left last political decisions to promote a democratic process through exclusively political means.

Thousands call for pro-independence unity

5,000 people took to the streets of Irunea/Pamplona last Saturday to call on all pro-independence forces to come together and develop a democratic process.

The demonstration had been called by citizens of many different backgrounds and it is another step which along with others is trying to activate a growing broad grassroots movement in favour of independence.

The organisers were surprised by the success of the rally (the largest one in the city for some time) and said it proves that there is a will for political and social change in Basque society.

Just in two weeks the new pro-independence grassroots movement Independentistak has got more than 4,500 friends in Facebook.

Basque women take to the streets on International Women’s Day

The Basque feminist movement filled the streets across the Basque Country on Monday to remind that there is still much to do to achieve equality and women’s rights respect.

Every years thousands of people take part in the 8th of March rallies but this year the marches will go on for six days. To coincide with the International Women’s March women will be traveling across the country with their demands.

No justice for Basques

Six years ago a Spanish police man and his son murdered Basque pro-independence activist Anjel Berrueta for refusing to put a poster against ETA in his bakery after the Islamist militant attacks in Madrid which killed more than 200 people.

Despite being sentenced to 20 and 15 years in jail they had been given weekend paroles at least since 2008. The news were just uncovered when someone saw them in the streets. Anjel Berrueta’s family has been object of threats since the killing and were devasted by the news. The killers have even applied for a government’s pardon.

Meanwhile four pro-independence youth were tried last week for some sabotages against bank offices. The prosecution asked for 33 years in jail for each one of them.

The same Spanish Special Court refused last week to judge in Madrid four people arrested in the Basque Country last year accused of being a pro-Spanish fascist gang accused of more than two dozens of attacks against pro-independence activists and clubs.

Basque Info 3/03/10

2010-03-17T11:02:00.001Z

Basque Info 3/03/10

New pro-independence movement launched

A new broad pro-independence grassroots movement called “Independentistak” was launched last Saturday at a press conference. 70 of the 140 different promoters were present at the event. They come from very different walks of life but agree on the urgent need to unite in favour of Basque independence.

The initial promoters are well known activists, journalists, writers, actors, sports people, politicians...etc. They now want to expand the grassroots movement to all cities and towns in the Basque Country but they will also work in the international arena.

They said they want to reorganize the pro-independence forces but they don’t want to become a political party. Independentistak will work as a pro-independence citizen’s network through exclusively political means but using innovative ways.

They defended the need for independence as the best option for the Basque Country’s future. Nevertheless they will also work together with other bodies that are in favour of a democratic scenario including self-determination for the Basque Country.

As a first step they will call on all pro-independence people to take part in a unified Aberri Eguna (Basque National Day) next Easter Sunday.

Last week the democratic process also received international support. A press conference was organised in the European Parliament to relaunch the Friendship, a group of MEP’s for a democratic resolution to the Basque conflict.

The group was initially launched in 2006 but it has been reshuffled after last year’s European elections. The 12 MEP’s, who belong to three different European political parties, welcomed the conclusions of the Basque Pro-Independence Left’s internal debate and called on the Spanish authorities to engage in a peace process.

The well known South African solicitor and international conflicts mediator Brian Currin also spoke at two public conferences in Madrid and the Basque Country last week. He said that the Basque Pro-Independence Left’s new proposals and commitments are very important. He also asked the Spanish government to respond positively and assured international support will be available if the process becomes stable.

De Juana extradition ruling ‘grossly inhumane’
The decision to allow the extradition of Basque ex-prisoner Iñaki de Juana to Spain is “grossly inhumane” and ignores evidence that the Spanish authorities are knowingly abusing the extradition process, spokesperson for the Don’t Extradite the Basques Campaign Kevin Morrison said today.
“The judge expressed confidence in the Spanish judicial system which we believe is unwarranted,” Morrison said. The Don’t Extradite the Basques Campaign would continue to support Iñaki through his appeal against the judgment, he added.
Risk of death
“During the hearing last November, psychological expert Dr Adrian Grounds testified that Iñaki would face a very serious deterioration in his health and likely, if not certain, death through hunger strike if he was extradited,” Morrison said.
Dr Grounds is a senior university lecturer at Cambridge University and an expert on the impact of imprisonment on the psychological health of detainees.
“During the hearing, the defence also pointed out that the Spanish authorities were knowingly abusing the extradition process because they knew they did not have any evidence against Iñaki, and that the case was politically motivated.
“In court, Dr Grounds said that Iñaki’s previous experiences in Spanish prisons – including repeated beatings and being held in solitary confinement for more than 17 of his total 21 years in jail – had been extremely traumatic.
“The expert also cited the well-known abuses carried out against Basque political prisoners documented by the UN’s Committee on the Prevention of Torture as well as reports by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.
“This prison experience has left Iñaki suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and absolute exhaustion.
“Dr Grounds said that to return him to the Spanish prison system would very likely result in Iñaki going on a hunger strike to the death. He said that in his opinion, this would partly be a political act of protest, but it would also reflect Iñaki’s inability to return to the conditions that had caused his exhaustion and PTSD,” Morrison added.
Vindictive
“The case against Iñaki is motivated by vindictiveness on the part of the Spanish government despite the fact that there is no evidence against him. The charges are spurious and absurd.
“The Don’t Extradite the Basques Campaign will step up its efforts to build awareness of the facts of this case, and public support for Iñaki during the appal process, in light of this ruling,” Morrison concluded.
During the November hearing, Edward Fitzgerald QC, defending, said: “Would it now be inhumane to put him back in custody on the basis of what someone says someone read out at a rally though no-one has the document? We say it’s grossly disproportionate and inhumane to do that.”
Spurious charges
More than 1,000 people have now signed the petition which demands that the British government reject the Spanish government’s extradition requests against Iñaki de Juana and Arturo Villanueva, including MEP Bairbre de Brún, journalist John Pilger, civil rights activist Fearghas Ó hÍr and lawyer Professor Phil Scraton.
The Spanish authorities are trying to extradite former prisoner and hunger-striker, Iñaki de Juana, from Belfast, where he moved immediately after his release in August last year, on charges of “glorifying terrorism”.
The arrest warrant is based on a single media report of somebody at a rally in Donostia/San Sebastian last August, which was celebrating de Juana’s release from prison, reading a letter that used the popular Basque expression “Aurrera bolie” (“Kick the ball forward”). The Spanish authorities claim this phrase constitutes a call for the continuation of armed struggle.
De Juana was not present at this rally and denies writing such a letter, which Spanish police admit they cannot produce.
Judge Tom Burgess ruled in March that “glorifying terrorism” was an extraditable offence that had an equivalent under the British Terrorism Act 2006. He said that he did not have to study the quality of the evidence against de Juana, as that was a matter for the Spanish courts.
The defence team argued two main points: that the Spanish authorities were knowingly abusing the extradition process, and that extradition would cause a disproportionate threat to de Juana’s health.

Repression continues with more arrests and torture reports

Last week two people were arrested in the Basque Country following a police operation which was connected to another eight people being detained in previous weeks. As in previous cases, the arrested reported torture after being held incommunicado for five days.

Another three alleged ETA members were arrested in the northern French region of Normandy last Sunday. As what usually happens after police operations of this kind, the Spanish Interior Minister said one of the arrested was the ETA’s operations’ top leader. After months saying the opposite, he also said that it can’t be denied that there are new political moves within the Pro-Independence movement.

The 2009 Repression Report for the province of Navarre was launched last week and it shows the increase of repression with a record result of 106 political prisoners out of a population of half a million people.

Hundreds of people gathered outside the court buildings in six Basque towns on Friday morning and then presented criticism for the treatment they receive when visiting their relatives in jail. Hundreds more took part in the weekly vigils in the evening across the Basque Country.

Election campaign starts in the north

300 people took part in the first event of the French regional elections campaign organised by the pro-independence left coalition Euskal Herria Bai (Basque Country Yes) in the northern village of Senpere.

Members of the two main nationalist parties in the northern Basque Country addressed the audience along with members of the LAB trade union.

They called on northern Basques to give a protest vote against the French authority’s attitude of contempt towards the Basque Country’s demands for self-government.

Basque Info 27/01/10

2010-03-17T11:01:00.001Z

Basque Info 27/01/10

• Basque political prisoners start hunger strike
• Historic rally against the High Speed Train
• Fourth session of the Egunkaria trial.
• Five people arrested accused of being ETA members

-Basque political prisoners start hunger strike.
The Basque Political Prisoners Association announced on Monday 25th that from that day the 746 prisoners will embark on a hunger strike. Previously they have been engaged in other protests such as refusing to leave their cells, refusing to take visits, make phone calls or receive letters, and forming picket lines in the recreation yards.

On the 18th of January they protested and demanded information concerning the disappearance of former political prisoner Jon Anza who went missing on the 18th of April last year. They will continue organising such protests every month until the disappearance is resolved.

With the protests they also wanted to demand the end of isolation and to show solidarity to the comrades who are kept alone in different jails. The association sent their full support to Lorentxa Gimon who started a hunger strike on the 2nd of January to demand her transfer to another French prison where more comrades are kept. She has lost 10 kilos so far.

They announced the hunger strike’s main demand is political status.

More details are expected to be released in coming days.

Meanwhile on the outside, a press conference took place on Saturday organised by former prisoners and members of the prisoner’s solidarity movement. A speaker at the event told journalists of the hard living conditions the Basque political prisoners have to endure and stressed they are part and consequence of the conflict, and in that way they are crucial in the resolution of it. They encouraged social and political forces to commit themselves to bringing about a new political scenario in the Basque Country based on democracy.

The Spanish Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said the Basque prisoners won’t get their objectives and highlighted the Spanish prison regime is the hardest in Europe with maximum sentences of 40 years to be fulfilled to the end.

-Historical rally against the High Speed Train.
More than 15,000 people rallied last Saturday against the construction of High Speed Train (HST) lines in the north and south of the Basque Country. The rally is the largest to have being organised so far in this long campaign.

Another important aspect was that the demonstration started in Hendaia, in the French occupied northern Basque Country, which then crossed the artificial border and ended in Irun, in the Spanish occupied southern Basque Country.

Those who attended the demonstration were of many different backgrounds including mayors, councillors, farmers, concerned citizens and even some international delegations from European groups fighting locally against High Speed Train infrastructures.

The main speaker Michel Hiriart, on behalf of the Lapurdi/Labourd Northern Province’s towns’ partnership said the project is dramatic and detrimental to the communities and the land. Other speakers also demanded an end to the criminalization of the campaign by the French and Spanish authorities, and asked for the right of the people to have a say and be able to decide about the construction.

The campaign against the HST in the Basque Country is very popular and focuses on the environmental, cultural, energetic, social, and economic damages of the construction of such a massive infrastructure in a small and mountainous country. Campaigners condemned it as a project to enrich the private constructors and to serve the economical and social elites. They demand transparency, public debate and the respect to the people’s decisions.

Local direct action and peaceful protests take place every week across the country but ETA’s attacks against the works have made the headlines very often.

-Fourth session of the Egunkaria trial.
Imanol Murua-Uria, a former member of staff of Egunkaria and a witness for the defence, denied that ETA had said that Martxelo Otamendi should be appointed as the newspaper’s Editor-in-Chief. This is one of the arguments put forward by the prosecution. The journalist told the judge that he had suggested Otamendi to Joan Mari Torrealdai, the Chairman of Egunkaria, S.A.’s Board of Directors, in 1993. Otamendi was appointed as Editor-in-Chief of Egunkaria in June of that year and remained in that post until the paper was closed down on the orders of Judge Juan del Olmo in February 2003.

Murua-Uria eta Zabaleta were the first witnesses called by the defence counsel to give evidence. Before them the last witnesses called by the private prosecution gave evidence. One of them was Txomin Aizpurua, a one-time ETA member and former prisoner. Aizpurua declared that he did not know of any reports going back to the time of the setting up of the newspaper. Yet according to the prosecution, documents about Egunkaria had been seized from him. The newspaper was set up in 1990 and Aizpurua was arrested a year later.

The two Guardia Civil officers who had participated in the arrests of Otamendi and Txema Auzmendi were called by the prosecution to give evidence. The first one, who took part in the arrest of Egunkaria’s Editor-in-Chief, initially said he had no recollection of this and had to be shown the record of arrest before he admitted that this had been the case. He then asked who Otamendi was, and went on to say that copies of Zutabe (ETA’s internal newssheets) had been found during the searches made of him, but he did not remember where they had been found.

The prosecution and the defence may submit their findings to the panel of judges at the end of February.

On Saturday 23 January the indicted received the broad support at Arantzazu monastery of prominent figures in society.

In Ireland there will be several talks organised by the Irish Basque Solidarity Committees in coming days. The main speaker will be Ainara Mendiola, the coordinator of the International Campaign in Favour of Egunkaria. The talks will take place in Derry on Saturday 30th January at 12pm in Cultúrlann, on Monday 1st February in Belfast’s Queen’s University’s Students Union’s Club Room 1 at 1pm and in Cultúrlann at 7.30pm on the same night, and on Tuesday 2nd February talks will also be organised in Dublin.

-Five people arrested accused of being ETA members.
Five men on their early 30’s were arrested and taken incommunicado by the Basque-Spanish police on Tuesday morning in several coastal towns. They have been accused of being members of an ETA unit and made responsible for several attacks including a bomb against a police barracks in 2008.

Pro-Independence Left’s internal debate’s conclusions set new strategy for new phase of strugggle.

2010-02-20T16:52:00.001Z

The Basque Pro-Independence Lef Regional Assemblies gathered over the past weekend to put an end to the debate "Clarifying the Political Phase and Strategy". More than 600 representatives of more than 270 local Assemblies concluded the debate and defined and decided the strategy to be developed in the future ratifying the Resolution “Zutik Euskal Herria” (“Stand Up Basque Country”; document in English: http://www.ezkerabertzalea.info ). These are the main contents of the resolution:

1. - The political phase the Basque Country is facing is the phase of
political change. This change has to be made through the Democratic
Process. Once the conditions for the change have been achieved, it is time
to realise it. The objective of this phase is to reach a democratic
scenario where all political projects can be not only defended with equal
opportunities but also implemented. The objective is to reach a stable and
lasting peace in the Basque Country. Materializing this change also
requires that we change ourselves.

2.- According to the Pro-Independence Left there is a real opportunity for the desired real political change. The opportunity to overcome the current cycle and
open a new democratic one is there. The challenge is to pass the door
opened after decades of struggle and tireless work and to do the change.
There are enough political and social conditions to do it.

3.- The Pro-Independence Left reaffirms its commitment to use exclusively
political and democratic means. Those means make possible the necessary
masses mobilization and unity of action of the democratic and progressive
forces of the country to open the process and to develop it. Those are
the guarantee and leading forces of the process. This democratic process
must be developed in a complete absence of violence and without
interference. Dialogue and negotiation among the political forces should
be governed by the principles of Senator Mitchell.

4.- An increasing accumulation of forces through exclusively mass,
institutional and ideological struggle is the basis to move the State to
the field of the democratic and free confrontation of ideas and political
projects and to achieve a scenario where the Basque people freely,
peacefully and democratically will be able to decide about their future.

The Pro-Independence Left also calls on the Basque people and all progressive, democrat and popular forces, maintaining each one its own history, identity and being, to unite forces to make this process irreversible. They also call on the international community to accompany this process.

Finally the Basque Pro-Independence Left is sure that through common work and mass struggle next months will bring new scenarios and developments making this process irreversible.
All Basque nationalist political parties and trade unions expressed their positive welcoming to the debate’s conclusions.

The Spanish unionist parties tried to hide their concerns talking about minor issues and without discussing the main contains of the statement.

European MP's have called for the acquittal of Egunkaria Five

2010-02-11T17:57:00.000Z

Twenty five members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have condemned in Strasbourg (France) the Egunkaria case, by signing a statement in favour of the daily. They have called for the acquittal of the five former members of Egunkaria´s Board of Directors –as they think that this is the only fair verdict possible–, the dropping of the financial court case and compensation of all the damage inflicted on all the defendants. In 2005, 22 MEPs called for the suspension of the closing down of the Egunkaria daily and requested that the rights of freedom of speech and information be respected.

The MEPs that signed the statement are representatives of four political groups: the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), the Group of the Greens-European Free Alliance (Greens-EFA), the Confederal Group of the European United Left-Nordic Green Left (GUE-NGL) and the Group of the European People’s Party. Some of them took part in a press conference today, together with Martxelo Otamendi, the former Editor-in -Chief of Egunkaria and one of the defendants. The following MEPs attended the conference: Izaskun Bilbao (ALDE), Ramon Tremosa (ALDE), Oriol Junqueras (Greens-EFA), François Alfonsi (Greens-EFA), Catherine Greze (Greens-EFA) and Raul Romeva (Greens-EFA). About 15 journalists attended the conference.

“The freedom and pluralism of the media shall be respected”, they claimed in the statement. They also mentioned the torture claims made by some of the defendants. “We have to emphasize the report written in March 2004 by Theo van Boven, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture. After visiting Spain to monitor the human rights situation in that country, he concluded that the torture claims made by the defendants in the Egunkaria case were consistent, and requested the Spanish Government to take measures to prevent torture”.

- Strong criticism of the Spanish State

The MEP Izaskun Bilbao (Basque Nationalist Party) said that the Egunkaria case is “baseless” and added that the honour of the defendants should be restored. “This case should never have happened”. Tremosa claimed that the closing down was a “violation of rights” and pointed out that the State that currently runs the European Union presidency [Spain] is one that closes down daily newspapers. “We must react strongly against it”, he said. The MEP Oriol Junqueras pointed out that the acquittal of the defendants is the only solution, as did the other MEPs. “The whole Spanish political class knows that the closing down of Egunkaria was undemocratic, but neither the Popular Party nor the Socialist Party have had the courage to condemn this offence which they backed at that time. It is shameful to close down a newspaper basing the decision on inconsistent accusations”.

Alfonsi criticized the position of the Spanish state. According to him, Spain has a problem with democracy: “It systematically violates the freedom of speech of the Basque people”. He cited the Law of Political Parties and the closing down of Egunkaria as examples of that.

Romeva gave Otamendi and the other defendants his full backing and asked the European Union to display “clearer coherence” on the defence of the rights. “It condemns offences that take place abroad, but it should take more notice of the situation inside the European Union”.

Otamendi briefly explained the case to the media: what Egunkaria was, what happened during the closing down, the torture complaints of many of the defendants, the support received from the Basque Country and many other countries; he said that acquittal is the only acceptable verdict for the defendants and that after that, they will ask for justice.

The trial in the closing down case of Egunkaria finished last 1 February and the defendants are waiting for the verdict. The Defence Counsel and the Public Prosecutor have called for their acquittal, but the Private Prosecution represented by the Association of Victims of Terrorism and Dignity and Justice has requested penalties of 12-14 years of prison.

- Many initiatives of support

When the trial in the Egunkaria process began, on December 15 2009, three members of the Greens-EFA group expressed their support of the defendants in a press statement: François Alfonsi, Catherine Grèze and José Bové. They stated that the Egunkaria case was “an insult to the Basque people and their culture”. Besides, they showed their full backing of the defendants.

On the other hand, on 18 January 2010, the MEP Izaskun Bilbao gave a minute-long speech in the European Parliament. She reminded the closing down of the daily, and the torture complaints; she pointed out that the Public Prosecutor had called for the case to be dropped and condemned the fact that the trial had started almost seven years after the closing down. She said that this case shows that serious mistakes are committed in Europe.

Basque solidarity events in Dublin and Belfast

2010-02-11T10:55:00.000Z

Day of events Saturday 13^th February

Belfast

2.30pm Picket line at Old Andersonstown Barracks.

3pm Mural unveiling at Old Andersonstown Barracks.

8pm Dinner in aid of Basque political prisoners at Cultúrlann.

After dinner live music, videos and international launch of Friends of the Basque Country website.

Dublin

2pm Picket line at O’Connell Street.

8pm Solidarity Night at Clifton Court Hotel, Eden Quay (€6) with Erik Noon & the Future Gypsies and more.

Basque political prisoner ends hunger strike

2010-02-11T10:54:00.000Z

Last Friday Basque political prisoner Lorentxa Gimon ended a 39-day-hunger-strike. She was the only Basque prisoner in the northern French jail of Roanne. She demanded that she was transferred to another jail where she could share block with other Basque prisoners. On Friday the prison's principal finally agreed to the transfer.

Special Basque Info program

2010-02-11T10:42:00.000Z

This week we joined the International Week of Solidarity with the Basque Country and extended our Basque Info program to one hour long. We invited friends of the Basque Country from across Europe and we also had some usual comentators from the Basque Country.

You can now listen to this week's special Basque Info.

III INTERNATIONAL WEEK OF SOLIDARITY WITH THE BASQUE COUNTRY

2010-02-04T13:30:00.000Z

Friends of the Basque Country – we need you!

No oppressed nation on earth can free itself in isolation. The mobilisation of international support from other struggles and people has, to a greater or lesser degree, always been necessary. The same is true of Euskal Herria (the Basque Country).

The names of Pro-Independence Left Basques together with fighters of other nations are part of imperialism's blacklist of ‘undesirables’. The Spanish and French governments miss no opportunity to publicly insult and attack the Basque social organisations which seek a democratic solution to the conflict perpetuated by the same Spanish and French governments. The number of Basque political prisoners, at a distance of thousands of kilometres from their country, relations and friends, has never been so high during the past 50 years: 765 people. Tens of political and social organisations have been banned in the south of our country.

Nevertheless, there is no scarcity of solidarity extended – from those who open their houses, who help families visit the political prisoners, who mobilise to break down the wall of silence that the mass media builds over the reality that we suffer and that we, at the same time, also construct. They are the true friends of Euskal Herria.

In spite of imperialism's attacks, the reconstruction of Euskal Herria is in train. The numbers of women and men who dream and live thinking of a Euskal Herria of the working class, of Mother Earth, which is free from labour and gender exploitation, is growing constantly. A Euskal Herria that lives its life through its language, which dances to the same tune as all peoples who fight for their freedom.

This developing process of liberation needs to pass through a new phase that pushes it forward: the implementation of the right of self-determination. This has always been a fundamental objective of the Pro-Independence Left and we think that the struggle of recent years has succeeded in laying the foundations for its construction.

The implementation of the right to self-determination will enable the democratic resolution of the confrontation which Spanish and French domination has imposed on this nation, and will enable us to move forward towards an independent and socialist Euskal Herria.

It is because of all this that we call on the network of Friends of the Basque Country across the world to carry out actions of solidarity and that they uphold, in particular, the right of self-determination to which we are entitled as a nation during the Week of International Solidarity with the Basque Country, from the 6th to the 13th of February.

Thousands of peoples, one struggle! For socialism, FREEDOM FOR THE BASQUE COUNTRY!

Basque Info radio program

2010-02-04T13:17:00.000Z

You can now listen to this week's Basque Info radio program. Next week we'll have a one hour long special program with lots of guests from the BC and abroad to celebrate the International Week of Solidarity with the Basque Country.

New campaign in favour of civil and political rights launched

2010-02-04T13:15:00.001Z

Last Saturday thousands of people filled the Euskalduna Conference Centre to attend the launch of Adierazi EH/Express PI (People’s Initiative) the new campaign group in favour of civil and political rights.

This new platform gathers people from many different political backgrounds and aims at demanding democracy for the Basque Country and the implementation of all civil and political rights cut down in the past few years.

During the event there was dance, theatre and videos displaying in different ways the attacks against civil and political rights in the Basque Country.

The speakers told the audience that the continuous banning of political parties, the mass arrests of political and social activists and the censorship occurring in the Basque Country is a unique situation within the European context.

But despite the terrible situation mass protests have been organised recently which shows the importance of the joint work among people of different political background. Adierazi EH wants to become a platform for them all.

The new group’s manifesto was read during the event which demands from the Spanish and French states, Europe and the world, the respect of the freedoms of opinion, expression, association and demonstration and the rights to intimacy and privacy, to access to justice, to active and passive vote and finally the right to reparation and democratic restoration.

Trial against Egunkaria ends

2010-02-04T13:13:00.000Z

The lawyers of the five indicted in the trial against the Basque language newspaper Egunkaria highlighted the absurdity of case during the last session on Monday.

Even the public prosecution said there wasn’t enough evidences against them and asked for the charges to be dropped. Despite that, the private prosecution represented by the lawyers of two Spanish right-wing associations requested they are sentenced for up to 14 years in jail.

The indicted have requested that the ill treatment they received should be reflected upon, and say that the only thing they are guilty of is having worked in favour of Basque culture.

Martxelo Otamendi, the paper’s former Editor-in-Chief, said: «I am guilty of running a Basque-language newspaper». He said he wanted to thank his colleagues for appointing him, and told them it had been an «honour» to share those years with the people in the dock. He pointed out that he had never been a member of ETA, and that Egunkaria had never been under its control. «The only thing we did was to work to develop our language». And he also made the following remark: «You can’t accuse someone of being a member of ETA if they themselves are not even aware of the fact».

The verdict is expected to be delivered within a few weeks.

Arrival of the Egunkaria Five to the Basque Country after the last session of the trial in Madrid.

Events in solidarity with Egunkaria were organised in Ireland by the Irish Basque Solidarity Committees over the past few days. 60 people attended a talk given by the coordination of the international campaign in favour of Egunkaria in Derry on Saturday and dozens more attended talks in Belfast and Dublin on Monday and Tuesday.

Talk organised in Derry.

End of hunger strike in prisons and solidarity in the Basque Country

2010-02-04T13:08:00.001Z

The 746 Basque political prisoners ended the week long hunger strike last Sunday at midnight. The protest is part of a new campaign of protests which begun on the 1^st of January of this year. More protests have been announced for coming months. The Basque political prisoners demand the recognition of their political status, their repatriation to Basque prisons and the release of all ill prisoners and those who have already completed their sentences.

During the week and especially over the weekend, hundreds of solidarity protests took place across the Basque Country and in at least 20 different towns, two day fasts were organised. In Bilbao 20 people fasted for the entire week.

One of the many fasts organised over the weekend in solidarity with the Basque political prisoners.

Unfortunately Basque prisoner Lorentxa Gimon remains on hunger strike after 33 days in the northern French jail of Roanne. She demands that she is transferred to another jail with Basque comrades. 60 people from her home town of Donibane Garazi/St. Jéan-de-Pied-de-Port travelled to Roanne to show their solidarity. They were joined outside the prison by local left-wing activists.

New accusations against the Spanish police for Jon Anza’s disappearance

2010-02-04T13:04:00.000Z

Last week French journalist and writer Jacques Massey launched his new book called “ETA, secret history of a 100 years’ war”. In the epilogue Massey comments on the disappearance of former Basque political prisoner Jon Anza nine months ago and reveals that a very important and reliable source told him that the Spanish police kidnapped him, and that there are tapped phone conversations regarding this. Massey also interviewed members of the French special police who didn’t deny the accusations.

After the new revelations the Jon Anza campaign demanded a judge is appointed for the case but the public prosecutor has rejected it. The campaign spoke out against the authorities silence surrounding the case.

Otegi demands a democratic solution to the conflict during trial

2010-02-04T13:01:00.001Z

Last week the Pro-Independence Left imprisoned leader Arnaldo Otegi attended trial in Madrid for taking part in 2005 in a solidarity event with Basque political prisoner Joxe Mari Sagardui "Gatza" on the 25^th anniversary of his imprisonment. He is still in jail which marks him as the oldest serving prisoner in Europe.

Arnaldo Otegi at the rally organised to demand Joxe Mari "Gatza" Sagardui's relase.

Otegi, who has been accused of glorifying terrorism, took advantage of the opportunity to demand a democratic resolution to the political conflict. He said the Pro-Independence Left has always worked for a peaceful resolution and remembered the self-determination processes in Ireland and Scotland.

He also spoke about the situation of the Basque political prisoners. He said that the existence of almost 800 prisoners out of a population of three million proves the existence of a conflict without parallels around the world.

This week's Basque Info podcast available

2010-01-28T13:57:00.000Z

Listen to this week's Baque Info podcast including the main news of the week and an interview about the prisoners' protest campaign and the latest torture reports with Iratxe Urizar from Behatokia, the Basque Human Rights Watchdog.

Basque political prisoners start hunger strike.

2010-01-28T13:50:00.001Z

The Basque Political Prisoners Association announced on Monday 25th that from that day the 746 prisoners will embark on a hunger strike. Previously they have been engaged in other protests such as refusing to leave their cells, refusing to take visits, make phone calls or receive letters, and forming picket lines in the recreation yards.

On the 18^th of January they protested and demanded information concerning the disappearance of former political prisoner Jon Anza who went missing on the 18^th of April last year. They will continue organising such protests every month until the disappearance is resolved.

With the protests they also wanted to demand the end of isolation and to show solidarity to the comrades who are kept alone in different jails. The association sent their full support to Lorentxa Gimon who started a hunger strike on the 2^nd of January to demand her transfer to another French prison where more comrades are kept. She has lost 10 kilos so far.

They announced the hunger strike’s main demand is political status.

More details are expected to be released in coming days.

Meanwhile on the outside, a press conference took place on Saturday organised by former prisoners and members of the prisoner’s solidarity movement. A speaker at the event told journalists of the hard living conditions the Basque political prisoners have to endure and stressed they are part and consequence of the conflict, and in that way they are crucial in the resolution of it. They encouraged social and political forces to commit themselves to bringing about a new political scenario in the Basque Country based on democracy.

The Spanish Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said the Basque prisoners won’t get their objectives and highlighted the Spanish prison regime is the hardest in Europe with maximum sentences of 40 years to be fulfilled to the end.

Historical rally against the High Speed Train.

2010-01-28T13:44:00.000Z

More than 15,000 people rallied last Saturday against the construction of High Speed Train (HST) lines in the north and south of the Basque Country. The rally is the largest to have being organised so far in this long campaign.

Another important aspect was that the demonstration started in Hendaia, in the French occupied northern Basque Country, which then crossed the artificial border and ended in Irun, in the Spanish occupied southern Basque Country.

Those who attended the demonstration were of many different backgrounds including mayors, councillors, farmers, concerned citizens and even some international delegations from European groups fighting locally against High Speed Train infrastructures.

The main speaker Michel Hiriart, on behalf of the Lapurdi/Labourd Northern Province’s towns’ partnership said the project is dramatic and detrimental to the communities and the land. Other speakers also demanded an end to the criminalization of the campaign by the French and Spanish authorities, and asked for the right of the people to have a say and be able to decide about the construction.

The campaign against the HST in the Basque Country is very popular and focuses on the environmental, cultural, energetic, social, and economic damages of the construction of such a massive infrastructure in a small and mountainous country. Campaigners condemned it as a project to enrich the private constructors and to serve the economical and social elites. They demand transparency, public debate and the respect to the people’s decisions.

Local direct action and peaceful protests take place every week across the country but ETA’s attacks against the works have made the headlines very often.

Fourth session of the Egunkaria trial.

2010-01-28T13:42:00.000Z

Imanol Murua-Uria, a former member of staff of Egunkaria and a witness for the defence, denied that ETA had said that Martxelo Otamendi should be appointed as the newspaper’s Editor-in-Chief. This is one of the arguments put forward by the prosecution. The journalist told the judge that he had suggested Otamendi to Joan Mari Torrealdai, the Chairman of Egunkaria, S.A.’s Board of Directors, in 1993. Otamendi was appointed as Editor-in-Chief of Egunkaria in June of that year and remained in that post until the paper was closed down on the orders of Judge Juan del Olmo in February 2003.

Murua-Uria eta Zabaleta were the first witnesses called by the defence counsel to give evidence. Before them the last witnesses called by the private prosecution gave evidence. One of them was Txomin Aizpurua, a one-time ETA member and former prisoner. Aizpurua declared that he did not know of any reports going back to the time of the setting up of the newspaper. Yet according to the prosecution, documents about Egunkaria had been seized from him. The newspaper was set up in 1990 and Aizpurua was arrested a year later.

The two Guardia Civil officers who had participated in the arrests of Otamendi and Txema Auzmendi were called by the prosecution to give evidence. The first one, who took part in the arrest of Egunkaria’s Editor-in-Chief, initially said he had no recollection of this and had to be shown the record of arrest before he admitted that this had been the case. He then asked who Otamendi was, and went on to say that copies of Zutabe (ETA’s internal newssheets) had been found during the searches made of him, but he did not remember where they had been found.

The prosecution and the defence may submit their findings to the panel of judges at the end of February.

On Saturday 23 January the indicted received the broad support at Arantzazu monastery of prominent figures in society.

In Ireland there will be several talks organised by the Irish Basque Solidarity Committees in coming days. The main speaker will be Ainara Mendiola, the coordinator of the International Campaign in Favour of Egunkaria. The talks will take place in Derry on Saturday 30th January at 12pm in Cultúrlann, on Monday 1st February in Belfast’s Queen’s University’s Students Union’s Club Room 1 at 1pm and in Cultúrlann at 7.30pm on the same night, and on Tuesday 2nd February talks will also be organised in Dublin.

Five people arrested accused of being ETA members.

2010-01-28T13:40:00.002Z

Five men on their early 30’s were arrested and taken incommunicado by the Basque-Spanish police on Tuesday morning in several coastal towns. Another person was arrested today. They have been accused of being members of an ETA unit and made responsible for several attacks including a bomb against a police barracks in 2008.

Protests against the arrests were organised later in the evening in the detainees' home towns.

Basque Info radio program available

2010-01-21T08:33:00.002Z

Listen to this week's Basque Info radio program.

ETA supports the Pro-Independence Left’s proposals.

2010-01-21T08:18:00.002Z

In a statement published last Sunday in the newspaper Gara ETA said:

“The Pro-Independence Left, the Basque People’s engine of struggle, has spoken and ETA supports its position (ETA is referring to the historical declaration by 100 high profile Pro-Independence Left activists last November in Altsasu and the grassroots debate that followed). We can’t keep waiting for the enemy, it’s time to take the lead and to act. At this time, when the enemy is striking hardest we can’t just keep resisting. We must respond showing the same leadership they try to strangle. It’s true, that rather than in resisting against repression, our strength lies in the political struggle. The enemy’s arguments are proved next to nothing when confronted with the Pro-Independence Left in the political debate”.

ETA highlights in its statement that the Pro-Independence Left is the only force that proposes a political framework that allows for all political options to be promoted and developed freely.

Most of the statement is focused on the democratic process. ETA says that the democratic process will become the axe of the struggle to be developed from now on by the Pro-Independence Left. According to ETA it would bring a democratisation of the political and legal situation of oppression, the overcoming in democratic terms of the political conflict, the implementation of the Basque Country’s national rights and the citizens’ civil and political rights and it would carry the Basque Country to a scenario of self-determination in a step-by-step, regulated and agreed way.

ETA is convinced that such a process will be opposed by the current political and legal framework with efforts to undermine it with "reforms" and so perpetuate the conflict with the aim of destroying the road to sovereignty.

ETA states that the Democratic Process is not the best option but the only one and that it must be understood that the main guarantor of it is the Basque People. According to ETA only with the strength and support of the Basque People will it be possible to open, build and bring that process to its successful conclusion.

In that sense ETA believes that the past experiences show two key lessons. If there is no People’s activation the Process won’t advance and also that it won’t be possible without the participation of the Spanish state. ETA continues: “If the Democratic Process is to be developed through democratic means and without interferences, as we also believe it should, the state interference and violence must stop.”

ETA ends the statement by recalling the historical words of one of the organization’s main leaders recorded just hours before he was assassinated by the Spanish death squads in 1978: “It won’t be ETA or any political party, it will be the Basque People who will bring freedom to the Basque Country. That’s what we want to stress today. Victory is in the struggle and we want to encourage our People and every citizen to organise and fight, to be protagonists in the liberation of our People.”

ETA’s last statement was widely covered in the media and sparked many reactions from the political parties. Many of the pro-Spanish newspapers manipulated the statement and even published wrong translations of it (ETA’s statements are always only written in Basque). Despite the usual critics there was a broad interest in the contents.

The pro-independence social democratic party Eusko Alkartasuna/Basque Solidarity welcomed the statement as positive and expressed its willingness to take steps towards a unified nationalist strategy based on a civil and political process.

Two days before the ETA’s statement the pro-independence trade union LAB organised a delegates’ rally with 1,200 in attendance. Addressing the audience the general secretary Ainhoa Etxaide encouraged political parties, trade unions and social organisations to reach political agreements to boost the democratic process. She said steps are being made and that they will be consolidated in the coming months. The LAB’s leader said this will be a decisive year.

During the rally they remembered the union’s former general secretary who was imprisoned in October along with Otegi and other leaders of the Pro-Independence Left. They also remembered the rest of the Basque political prisoners and the 89 workers who were killed last year in their workplace.

Solidarity with the Basque political prisoners.

2010-01-21T08:16:00.000Z

400 people rallied in Donostia/San Sebastian to demand the immediate release of the local political prisoner Juan Jose Rego. As we previously reported the 70-year-old prisoner has spent 15 years in jail and suffers numerous very serious illnesses. He recently suffered a heart attack. He can barely see and move and as he told his wife last week he won’t be able to survive another five years in jail. According to Spanish law seriously ill prisoners must be released.

Basque political prisoner Jon Bilbao entered his 29th year in jail last week. He was arrested in January 1982 and was brutally tortured during nine days of incommunicado detention. He should have been released in 2002 according to Spanish law. The oldest prisoner in Europe is Basque political prisoner Jose Mari Sagardui who was arrested in 1980.

450 people took part in the annual Solidarity Day in the northern Basque Country last weekend to protest against repression, to show support to the Basque political prisoners and refugees and their relatives and to remember those who died. They especially remembered former Basque political prisoner and refugee and ETA member Jon Anza, nine months after he went missing.

Many protests took place on Monday across the Basque Country to demand answers about his disappearance. Nine months on and there is still no outcome from the French police investigation despite the strong suspicion of the involvement of Spanish undercover police units.

Few months before Jon Anza’s disappearance another Basque political refugee was kidnapped for several hours by undercover Spanish policemen in the northern Basque Country (under French administration). This week the French court dealing with this case was told by the Spanish authorities they couldn’t identify the owners of four Spanish mobile phone signals detected that day where the Basque refugee was abducted.

Former ETA members deny involvement of armed organisation in setting up Egunkaria

2010-01-14T09:44:00.000Z

On Tuesday 12th, on the third day of the Basque language newspaper Egunkaria trial, former ETA members Jose Luis Alvarez Santacristina aka ‘Txelis’, Jose Mari Dorronsoro and Carmen Gisasola appeared at the Spanish National Criminal Court as witnesses for the prosecution.

Egunkaria’s editorial council members Joan Mari Torrealdai, Iñaki Uria, Martxelo Otamendi, Txema Auzmendi and Xabier Oleaga had been indicted on charges of being ETA members.

The three former ETA members gave evidence as witnesses because, according to police sources, at the time of their arrest they had been found to be in possession of documents pertaining to Egunkaria. But on Tuesday the three denied that the armed organisation had ever promoted a Basque-language newspaper, or that they had intervened in it. Dorronsoro said that Egunkaria had not been mentioned “at all” during the executive committee meeting of the armed organisation ETA, and Gisasola declared that while she was a member of ETA she knew nothing about the project.

Before them officers of the Spanish Guardia Civil police gave evidence as witnesses today at the request of the prosecution. On 20 February 2003, the Spanish Guardia Civil had closed down Egunkaria on the orders of Judge Juan del Olmo of the Spanish National Criminal Court believing that the newspaper had connections with ETA, but the Spanish Guardia Civil did not submit any evidence against Egunkaria yesterday, either.

One officer said he thought that the case had been dropped. When questioned about the fact that the people running Egunkaria had been tortured at the time of their arrest, the Spanish Guardia Civil officers said that everything had proceeded “normally”.

The defendants Joan Mari Torrealdai, Iñaki Uria, Martxelo Otamendi, Txema Auzmendi and Xabier Oleaga said they were full of renewed energy after receiving the support of thousands and thousands of Basques in Bilbao on December 19. Torrealdai said, “After today’s session, too, the independence of Egunkaria and the innocence of the defendants will be clearer than ever.”

The panel of trial judges is keen to present its summary on 27 January.

Basque political prisoners start protests.

2010-01-14T09:42:00.000Z

As we previously reported the 742 members of the Basque Political Prisoners Collective (EPPK) began a series of protests this week which will go on throughout the whole year. The prisoners want to respond to the increased repression in the Basque Country and the harshening of conditions in jail. They also demand the immediate release of all seriously ill prisoners and those who are still kept in prison despite having served completed their sentences.

From Monday the prisoners refused to leave their cells and as a consequence they won’t be able to go to the yard or to courses, they won’t be able to take visits, receive letters or make phone calls and many of them probably won’t be given food.
This is the first phase and the campaign will escalate in coming months when the second phase will start with hunger strikes.

Last Wednesday 70-year-old Basque political prisoner Juan Jose Rego suffered a heart attack. He had two angina pectoris in 2009 the last one on Christmas Day. He’s been in jail for 16 years, he is almost blind and deaf and among others he has prostate problems. His family denounced the lack of medical assistance in jail and expressed their fears about the future.

44,000 people demonstrated in Bilbao two weeks ago to demand the Basque prisoners’ rights are respected and to ask for their repatriation in the largest rally in the Basque Country in years. Despite this support the Spanish and French authorities continue to ignore these demands and increased the criminalization campaign through their allied media.

Hundreds of people confronted snow and cold last Friday to show support to the Basque political prisoners and took part in the weekly vigils across the country.

Five alleged ETA members and one refugee arrested.

2010-01-14T09:40:00.003Z

Two alleged ETA members, Inaki Iribarren and Eider Uruburu, were arrested in the south of France last week when, according to police sources, they were leaving an ETA arms dump which had been under surveillance for months.

Another two, Garikoitz Garcia and Iratxe Yanez, were arrested in Portugal after escaping from a Spanish police checkpoint a few miles away from the border. The police said they found explosives and weapons in a van. The Spanish authorities requested their extradition.

Also last week Peio Olano was arrested by the Spanish Guardia Civil. After five days of incommunicado detention he was sent to jail where he was finally able to talk to his lawyer and reported the terrible tortures he suffered at the hands of the Guardia Civil. He stated that he was suffocated with plastic bags and rolled up in a blanket while four policemen jumped on him, that he received threats against his young son, and that he was continuously beaten and was obliged to do physical exercises.

Finally, last Friday night young political escapee Ibai Pena was arrested in the north of the Basque Country and later sent to jail while awaiting an extradition hearing.

This week's Basque Info podcast available now

2010-01-07T09:19:00.002Z

Listen to this week's Basque Info radio program

The Basque political prisoners start a new campaign of protests

2010-01-07T09:11:00.001Z

In a statement released at the beginning of this year the Euskal Preso Politikoen Kolektiboa or EPPK (Basque Political Prisoners’ Collective) announced that they are about to start a series of protests against the Spanish and French authorities prison policies. The campaign will be carried on along the whole year and will have different phases.

In the statement the Prisoner’s Collective highlights the increase of the repressive measures in the jails and the attacks against the solidarity movement on the outside. According to them this situation is part of the attempt by the Spanish state to condition the beginning of a new political cycle in the Basque Country.

The Basque prisoners want to prove to the Spanish and French states that repression is fruitless and at the same time want to help boost the national liberation process, becoming part of it through their protest campaign and encouraging all political and social actors in the Basque Country to be part of it.

The prisoners demand the release of all the seriously ill comrades and those who have already done their sentences as well as the end of solitary confinement as a matter of urgency. They also demand the political status and their repatriation to the jails in the Basque Country as a first step towards a future amnesty.

During the first week of the year they will be informing about the new campaign and then protests such as lock-ins and hunger strikes will follow.

Huge response to the Spanish repressive strategy

2010-01-07T09:06:00.002Z

44,000 people demonstrated in Bilbao last Saturday in support of the Basque political prisoners in the largest demonstration of the last years in the Basque Country. The demonstration had been previously organised by the prisoners' relatives and then banned by the Spanish authorities just two days before. Immediately five political parties reacted and organised the mentioned one. The slogan chosen for the demonstration was “Basque prisoners to the Basque Country”.

The Spanish authorities’ attempts to hide the broad support that slogan has among Basques failed completely.

The unprecedented reaction shown by the five political parties was also seen by many as proof of the existence of conditions to build a broad pro-independence front.

Meanwhile, dozens of visits were lost due to the new search measures implemented by the Spanish authorities before jail visits. The prisoners’ relatives and the prisoners themselves are carrying out numerous protests to confront this situation.

Former Basque political prisoner Patxi Gomez, who spent 20 years in jail and was released just a few months ago, has seen his sentence extended by the Spanish Supreme Court and will have to go back to jail. This is part of the Spanish strategy of recent years to keep Basque prisoners in jail for longer terms than those imposed in their sentences. Dozens of them have seen how the day they were due to be freed by law has been postponed for many more years bringing the repressive situation to cruel terms.

Great support for official national teams

2010-01-07T09:01:00.001Z

More than 5,000 people gathered in the velodrome in Donostia/San Sebastian for a unique event on Saturday 27th of December. It was the first time ever Basque sports men and women had organised a whole soiree of a mix of different sports displays.

The aim was to demand official national teams for the Basque Country. Despite the majority of Basque people supporting this demand the French and Spanish states block any possibility at the international relevant bodies.

The successful event was the first of a new campaign that will grow in coming months and years.

Belfast Basque Solidarity Committee send solidarity at Christmas to Basque Political Prisoners

2009-12-26T17:10:00.001Z

The Belfast Basque Solidarity Committee has joined with Coiste na n-Iarchimí in a campaign that will see messages of support and solidarity at Christmas time sent to Basque prisoners, in Spain, France and the Basque Country.

Speaking on behalf of the initiative, Kevin Morrison from the Belfast Basque Solidarity Committee said:

“Each year the Belfast Basque Solidarity Committee send messages of solidarity to Basque political prisoners who are held in over 80 jails across France, Spain and the Basque country. This year we are very happy to have the support of Coiste na n-Iarchimí.

“Together with Coiste we have designed a poster which reflects messages of solidarity from ex prisoners from Ireland that also expresses the sense of community between those who face political persecution for their beliefs.

“This year has seen many more people enter prisons, especially in Spain and the Basque Country due to a large amount of arbitrary arrests of people in political parties, social and youth groups and journalists. While this has been a fact of life over in the past number of years, this year has seen a marked increase in arrests and imprisonments.

“We hope that the sending of these messages will in some way help ease the burden of those in jail over the Christmas period and let them know that people from around the world have not forgotten them.”

Adding to this Michael Culbert, Director of of Coiste na n-Iarchimí said: at

“Obviously from an ex-prisoners support group we have at first hand experience, of prisoner difficulties and the hardship and isolation they may face, but this can be especially acute at Christmas time.

“We are only too pleased to be asked to help out with this initiative and send these messages of support and solidarity.”

Ancient Basque traditions remain alive and strong over winter solstice

2009-12-24T14:18:00.001Z

For the Basque people, Christmas has always been one of the best-loved holidays of the year. Having the whole family round for Christmas dinner, our carols and our ancient customs, such as Olentzero, have always been at the centre of the celebrations. As Basques we live with great intensity, and for us Christmas means festivals "par excellence".

Nowadays, as in the rest of the world, Christmas has become a very consumerist affair, but in the Basque Country it is something more as well: It is the reflection of a country's history, with traditions that have been handed down by our ancestors, and which still remain in many families. It's also a time to remember those who are away from home, specially the Basque political prisoners and exiles. All across the country hundreds of vigils are organised in Christmas eve in support of them and relatives and friends carry their pictures and banners at the Olentzero parades.

The Christmas tree remains one of the key references this time of year in the Basque Country. Our parents can still remember the wood being collected in Autumn, and the way in which the best tree was taken home still intact. This custom continues. Now there is no need for a heifer to drag the tree back home, but many homes are decorated with a Christmas tree. The tree is typical of northern Europe, but reflects the fondness Basques have for the Christmas tree tradition.

But undoubtedly the tradition most deeply rooted in the Basque Country is that of "Olentzero" or coal man. On Christmas Eve, throughout virtually all Basque towns and villages, the figure of a shepherd or a coal man is lifted up, sitting in a basket, onto the shoulders of people who take it from house to house; at every house it passes, the young people accompanying the Olentzero stop to sing a Christmas carol.

In Navarre, for example, the Olentzero is a coal man who comes down from the mountains to hand out chestnuts and wine, and of course presents for the little ones. He is a mythical Basque character; a messenger; a shepherd who cries out that it is Christmas time in all the corners of the Basque Country. But he is not only a shepherd; in some parts he is a farm worker and in others he is the coalman; either way, they are all bringers of good news.

The Olentzero has also been associated with many other beliefs and customs, such as the deeply-rooted tradition of Basque cuisine. In Salvatierra in Alava, for example, the Olentzero is a coalman who, after having lived a hard life up in the mountains, comes back to his village to bring good news and at the same time have a great feast to make up for the hunger which he has suffered.

This mythical character has a big head, a large belly and, according to local traditions, is capable of drinking ten "arrobas" (one arroba is about twenty-five pounds in weight) of wine. In Hondarribia, aside from carrying a pipe, a capon, some eggs and a bottle of wine, he usually has a tail made of cod, and if a village erects an Olentzero for Christmas, a barbecue is usually set up next to him where sardines are handed out free of charge.

Christmas carols also make up an important part of the festivities. The idea is that they represent a cheerful greeting which is taken from house to house; a verse is dedicated either to the whole family or to one special member. These songs continue to be sung in all Basque families.

Demand for official Basque national teams

2009-12-24T14:04:00.000Z

Well known sport men and women, clubs, political parties and social organizations demand the right to have official Basque national teams and organise a massive event in the Donostia/San Sebastian's velodrome on the 27th of December.

There is huge support for Basque national teams with some like the football squad playing friendly international matches every year. Despite this the Spanish and French federations block any attempt to gain international official recognition.

Basque political prisoner attempts suicide

2009-12-24T13:57:00.000Z

Basque political prisoner Igor Gonzalez attempted to commit suicide last Tuesday. His personal psychologist had visited him the previous day and had asked the prison staff to look after him due to his terrible condition. The warnings were ignored and Igor cut his veins the next morning.

Despite this he was later on the same day transferred to an unknown jail.

The Basque prisoners' solidarity groups have denounced the lack of medical assistance and the hard living conditions they live in.

Thousands rally in support of the Egunkaria five

2009-12-21T16:26:00.002Z

Around 30,000 people took part in a national demonstration last Saturday in Bilbao to support those indicted in the Egunkaria case. The Basque language Egunkaria was closed down by the Spanish authorities in 2003 and ten members of the administration council and editorial team were arrested and tortured. Some of them were also imprisoned.

Last Monday a trial started against five of them, including director Martxelo Otamendi. They face up to 14 years in jail.

All Basque political parties and trade unions except the pro-Spanish unionists parties PSOE and PP and trade union UGT took part in the rally.

Day Two of the Egunkaria trial

2009-12-18T12:09:00.000Z

From Ainara Gorostitzu of the Egunkaria defence campaign.

Day 2 of the trial in the Egunkaria case, in Madrid

The Guardia Civil (Spanish police) has not submitted any evidence to link Egunkaria with ETA

--The Prosecutor did not question the Police officers today, either, because he has found no evidence of any crime in the Egunkaria case

--The trial is set to resume on January 12

"I don’t remember requesting that a newspaper be closed down, but if that’s what it says in the report, I must have requested 'Egunkaria' to be closed down", said a Guardia Civil officer today on day two of the trial against Egunkaria in reply to a question put to him by the defence counsel. Today’s session started at 10:26 and adjourned at 12:20, and one of the four police officers failed to show up. The examining Judge Juan del Olmo based his decision to close down 'Egunkaria' on 20 February 2003 on a report filed by the Guardia Civil. The Prosecutor did not question Iñaki Uria, Xabier Oleaga, Martxelo Otamendi, Joan Mari Torrealdai and Txema Auzmendi, the indictees who ran the Basque-language newspaper yesterday, either, and they confirmed that they had had no connection with ETA. The indictees were informed that the trial would resume on January 12.

Today it was the turn of the Spanish Guardia Civil in the trial against Egunkaria being held at the National Criminal Court in Madrid. The Guardia Civil closed down the Basque-language daily on the orders of Juan del Olmo of the Spanish National Criminal Court; yet the examining judge had taken a report drawn up by the Guardia Civil as the basis, and the police officers in court today referred to it. They confirmed that there was a connection between Egunkaria and ETA but did not submit any evidence. One of the officers testifying today had requested the judge to close down the paper. What is more, this was the Guardia Civil officer who had taken statements from Joan Mari Torrealdai, Iñaki Uria, Txema Auzmendi and Xabier Oleaga while the four were being held incommunicado.

Today’s session lasted two hours and the trial is to be adjourned until January. In addition to the failure of the police officers to submit evidence, the same thing as yesterday happened: the Prosecutor Miguel Angel Carballo did not question anyone today, decided not to ask the Guardia Civil officers any question, and informed the judge accordingly. Iñigo Iruin, the defence lawyer, asked the investigating Guardia Civil officer whether he had ordered Egunkaria to be closed down and he said he could not remember. "I don’t remember requesting that a newspaper be closed down, but if that’s what it says in the report, and it says I did it, I must have requested 'Egunkaria' to be closed down", replied the officer. The other two spoke along similar lines. The last one only testified for a few minutes.

Yesterday’s session. Yesterday was the first day of the trial, the most important news was that the Prosecutor did not ask the five Egunkaria indictees any questions. It was the reflection of how he had acted in the proceedings, because he had requested at the time that the case be dropped –so had the defence counsel– arguing that there were no crimes to answer. What is more, the indictees confirmed that they had had no links with ETA, which is what the private prosecutions brought by the organisations, Dignidad y Justicia and the AVT, are accusing them of. Yesterday, only the five indictees testified: Iñaki Uria, Xabier Oleaga, Martxelo Otamendi, Joan Mari Torrealdai and Txema Auzmendi. They did not answer the questions put to them by Dignidad y Justicia and the AVT, but they did reply to the questions put to them by the defence counsel. No prosecution has been brought by individuals or organisations affected in this case. Yet the panel of judges decided on July 30 that the trial should go ahead and that is what has been taking place since yesterday.

Following today’s session there will not be any more until 12 January (Tuesday) as announced by the panel of judges. That is when the Egunkaria witnesses currently in prison will be testifying. The sessions will then be held from January 25 to 29. In the proceedings, prison terms are being sought only by Dignidad y Justicia and the AVT; prison terms of between 12 and 14 years for each of the indictees, and disqualification for 14-15 years (a ban on holding public positions and standing in elections) because they are regarded as being members of ETA. Javier Gomez Bermudez heads the panel of judges, the other judges being Ramon Saez Valcarcel and Manuela Fernandez Prado.

This week's Basque Info podcast now available

2009-12-16T20:14:00.001Z

Listen to this week's Basque Info podcast with the latest news and an interview with Ógra Shinn Féin member Dave Collins about his experiences in the Basque Country in the aftermath of the arrests of 36 pro-independence youth activists.

Trial against Basque language newspaper Egunkaria begins.

2009-12-16T20:09:00.002Z

On 3rd February 2003, the Spanish police ordered the definitive closure of Euskaldunon Egunkaria, the only daily newspaper published in the Basque language. This was followed by the arrest of ten people. All of them were well known and respected Basque language and culture activists, journalists and writers. One of them is a Jesuit brother.

They were held incommunicado for five days under the anti-terrorist law. Some of them were imprisoned and others later released. One of them, the newspaper’s director, told journalists at the prison gates he had been savagely tortured. His words and his shattered appearance shocked Basque society.

The operation was ordered by the Spanish National Court on the grounds that Egunkaria allegedly formed part of a wider group of businesses and organisations controlled by ETA – the old “all is ETA” motto.

Immediately after the closure hundreds of protests took place across the Basque Country, including what was probably the largest demonstration ever to take place in the country two days after the closure.

Nearly four years later on 15th December 2006, the National Court Prosecutor determined that there were no grounds for the case and requested a stay of proceedings.

Despite this, six months later a court hearing was officially announced.
In the hearing it was concluded that only five of those arrested would finally go to trial: Joan Mari Torrealdai, ex-President of the administrative council of Egunkaria; Iñaki Uria, ex-Managing Director; Txema Auzmendi, former Administrative Council Secretary; Martxelo Otamendi, ex-Director; and Xabier Oleaga, former deputy director.

The trial begun yesterday Tuesday 15th in Madrid, with the accused facing sentences of between 12 and 14 years in prison, in addition to a further 14 to 15-year ban from practicing journalism. For the last months many support events have been organised and the presence of the leaders of the majority of Basque political parties and trade unions and education, culture and language movements’ representatives at the gates of the Spanish National Court yesterday was proof of the broad support they have in Basque society.

The hearing began with the testimonies of the accused who stated the newspaper was created by the Basque language grass roots movement to fill the crucial vacuum of a newspaper written in the national language and without any intervention by ETA.

They also told the court how they had been subjected to torture while detained incommunicado but the judges ordered them not to talk about this.

Aside from the accusations that form the basis of Tuesday's trial, there are further charges of attempting to falsify accounts and defraud the Treasury, of which eight defendants stand accused.

They could face up to between 13 and 26 years in prison and possible fines of between 21 and 33 million euro. The date for this trial is yet to be announced.

More info: http://egunkaria.info/international/

Thousands against repression and political trials.

2009-12-16T20:02:00.000Z

Following the same policies imposed by George W. Bush around the world with his “preventive wars”, from 2003 to 2005 116 Basque pro-independence citizens were arrested and most of them tortured and imprisoned in the so-called “preventive” police operations. They were accused of being potential members of ETA.

2,500 people took part in a demonstration in Iruñea/Pamplona last Saturday to show support for two local youths who are being judged along with another 11 people in one of the first trials for the preventive arrests.

The march was organised with the slogan “Yes to the possible development of all political projects”. Other banners carried slogans like “No to political trials” and “Stop torture”.

Demonstration in Iruñea/Pamplona last Saturday.

2,500 people took part in another demonstration the same day in Donostia/San Sebastian to show support for the many local youth who will stand trial over the next months for their political work within the youth movement. They are accused of being members of the banned pro-independence organization Segi. Around 150 young people have been arrested for the same reason over the last two years across the Basque Country. They face sentences of eight years in jail.

The first trial against Segi activists took place in 2005 and 23 were sentenced to six years in jail. Ten of those youth activists were released last week after doing their six-year sentences to the full. Others were released during 2009, five more were arrested while on the run and sentenced last month and another one, Arturo “Benat” Villanueva, is fighting an extradition warrant in Belfast. Despite the extradition being declared invalid by a Belfast judge the prosecution appealed. Last Monday a hearing was held at the High Court and a decision will be made in the next few weeks.

Strength of Basque culture and political commitment showed at the Improvisers Final.

2009-12-16T19:57:00.002Z

Last Sunday 15,000 people filled the Barakaldo Exhibition Centre near Bilbao for the four-yearly Basque language Improvisers Final and dozens of thousands followed the show on TV, radio and internet.

The seven-hour-long event ended with victory for the 33-year-old Maialen Lujanbio, the first woman ever to win the championship. Bertsolaritza or the practice of improvised singing is hugely popular in the Basque Country and it’s a great example of the old Basque traditions that have survived for centuries despite repression.

During this historical and highly emotional final some subjects appeared repeatedly: solidarity with the Basque political prisoners, against torture, support for those indicted in the Egunkaria case and calls for unity in favour of independence.

The eight bertsolaris' (improvisers) entrance and first bertsos (verses).

Moving farewell bertso of champion Maialen Lujanbio.

Basque Info radio program available

2009-12-10T09:38:00.000Z

Listen to this week's Basque Info radio program with the lastest news and a tribute to great Basque song writer Mikel Laboa on the first anniversary of his death.

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

2009-12-10T09:32:00.000Z

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.

Youth unites against repression.

2009-12-10T09:30:00.001Z

Two weeks ago 36 Basque pro-independence youth activists were arrested in the largest police operation in decades. The Spanish authorities’s objective was to destroy the Basque youth movement. Among those arrested are activists involved in the student movement, youth squatted houses, community radios, Basque culture and language, community festivals, alternative music, feminist groups...

All of them were acussed of being members of the banned pro-independence youth organization Segi and a huge media criminalization campaign surrounded the arrests.

Most of them stated they were tortured, girls were even subjected to sexual abuse and finally 32 were imprisoned. Some of the youth who escaped the police operation were arrested just metres away from the Spanish National Court where they were going to surrend themselves, then taken incommunicado and reported tortures thereafter.

The response was immediate and hundreds of protests took place across the Basque Country. More than 20,000 people took part in a national demonstration in Bilbao organised by the detainees’ relatives.

Last weekend 2,000 people took part in another demonstration organised by the youth movement in Durango during the Basque Book and Album Fair. Dozens of youth groups had previously signed a petition to claim their right to organise against the capitalist system and for Basque freedom. 50 international youth groups showed their support too and some of them took part in the rally. Among them were Ógra Shin Féin representatives. The Irish youth organization also organised solidarity protests over the weekend in Derry, Cork, Fermanagh and Galway. Previously more protests took place in Omagh, Lurgan, Strabane, Limerick, Dungannon, Belfast and Dublin.

Calls for pro-independence unity during the Spanish Constitution Day.

2009-12-10T09:29:00.000Z

While the Spanish authorities celebrated in Madrid the 31st anniversary of the approval of the Spanish constitution Basque nationalist forces spoke of it as an imposition. In the 1978 referendum the constitution didn’t get the support of the majority of the Basque people and it’s been considered not legitimate in the Basque Country since then.

The Spanish constitution doesn’t recognised the Basque people’s rights like self-determination, declares the unbreakable unity of the state and the ultimate defence of it by the army. The Franco regime’s structures such as the army, judiciary and police remained untouched.

At a press conference organised during the Spanish Constitution Day the Basque Pro-Independence Left said that the asimilation process started in 1978 has failed and that nowadays the majority of Basque political and social force are in favour of a new democratic framework for the Basque Country. Speakers at the press conference said that now it’s time to take new and concrete commitments and to define the way to make that new political situation possible.

Harassment against Basque political prisoners’ relatives increases.

2009-12-10T09:28:00.001Z

More than 160 visits have been denied to Basque political prisoners’ relatives and friends during the past month. Relatives and friends are being subjected to humilliating searches on their way to visits due to new measures introduced by the Spanish authorities. The relatives are opposing the searches and subesquently they can’t attend visits after travelling for hundreds of miles. There are 598 Basque political prisoners scattered in almost 60 jails in Spain and another 161 prisoners in 25 French jails.

The Basque prisoners have begun different protests to confront the harassment against their relatives such as a communication strike and lock ups in their cells.

This week's Basque Info radio program now available

2009-12-03T12:26:00.002Z

Listen to this week's Basque Info with the lastest news and an interview with Iratxe Urizar from Behatokia, the Basque Human Rights Watchdog.

20,000 people support the youth movement.

2009-12-02T15:31:00.000Z

In the early hours of Tuesday November 24, 35 Basque pro-independence youth activists were arrested by 950 Spanish policemen in the largest police operation in decades. More than 100 premises were searched and seven more young weren’t in their homes at the time of the raids.

All of them were accused of being members of the leadership of Segi, the banned pro-independence and socialist youth organisation. Similar operations happened in 2001 and 2002 against the alleged leaderships of the youth movement and another 16 operations were carried out over the past two years against local groups of Segi. Hundreds of young people have been arrested, many tortured and most of them imprisoned for solely political work.

Protests were organised across the Basque Country during the week including school strikes. There were also protests in Ireland (Belfast, Dublin, Omagh, Lurgan, Strabane, Dungannon and Limerick).

The largest protest took place last Saturday in Bilbao with 20,430 people in attendance according to the Basque newspaper Gara. The rally was organised by the relatives of those arrested under the slogan “All projects, all rights” and it was supported by many youth groups and four Basque pro-independence parties.

Dozens of young people took to the stage at the end of the march to highlight the fact that all these police operations have been proved to be unable to destroy the Basque youth movement. They also stressed their determination to continue and make the youth movement even broader. In fact, those who took to the stage were taking part along hundreds more in a national weekend of events and discussions in Zestoa.

This was the culmination of months of debates at the local level among different youth groups with the objective of organising a broad front against the capitalist system and in favour of a democratic process in the Basque Country. The arrests obviously come at a very important time for both the youth movement and the Basque Country and are aimed at preventing emerging new political initiatives.

31 out of the 35 youth activists arrested were sent to prison after five days incommunicado. When they were able to see their lawyers in jail most of them reported torture and sexual abuse, mainly against girls. They were beaten on their testicles, forced to do physical exercise, suffocated with plastic bags, deprived of sleep, insulted, humiliated, even threatened with guns at their heads and girls were stripped while being touched and kissed by hooded policemen. There were even rape simulations.

With these last arrests the number of Basque political prisoners is at its highest level in 35 years with 762.

New commitment to support the Basque prisoners’ demands.

2009-12-02T15:29:00.002Z

Last week Etxerat, the Basque political prisoners’ relatives association, organised a three-day conference to analyse the situation in the prisons. Many trade unions and social organisations took part in the discussions and workshops.

Among other issues they talked about the new measures against the prisoners such as prolonging their sentences and making what are, in effect, life sentences and the control measures they’ll be subjected to once they are released as well as the new search conditions for relatives during visits.

On the last day all the organisations present at the conference decided to sign up to a document which will be the basis to reorganise a movement in favour of the Basque political prisoners. As a first commitment all of them supported the national demonstration called by Etxerat on the 2nd of January.

Another commitment taken by all present was to strengthen the Friday vigils. In fact, thousands of people took part last Friday in around 100 towns in picket lines to support the Basque political prisoners’ rights.

Broad support for indicted councillors.

2009-12-02T15:10:00.000Z

22 mayors and councillors will be tried in the near future (the date is still unknown) by the Spanish National Court for their work in Udalbiltza, the Basque elected representatives national institution. It was created in 1998 with the objective of the national building of the Basque Country overcoming partition.
The Spanish authorities criminalised their institutional and democratic work and accused them of terrorism.

At a press conference last week dozens of councillors announced they have collected 2,000 signatures of other councillors from different political parties in favour of the Basques’ right to organise their own institutions and against the trial. These signatures will be sent to the United Nations.

Another political trial it’s about to start. On the 14th of December 10 members of the editorial team of Egunkaria will face trial in Madrid’s Spanish National Court. Egunkaria was closed down by the Spanish authorities in 2003 and it was the only Basque language newspaper in the world. The indicted are accused of terrorism and face sentences up to 17 years in jail.

Spanish policeman fakes ETA attack.

2009-12-02T15:08:00.001Z

A Spanish Guardia Civil was taken to hospital on Sunday morning after shooting himself in one arm. He was out of control for 45 minutes in the nationalist village of Leitza. The pro-Spanish parties and media quickly condemned the alleged ETA attack but soon the news disappeared when the facts behind it emerged.

A demonstration has been called by the local council to protest against the criminalisation suffered by the village and to demand the occupation forces leave Leitza.

Listen to this week's Basque Info radio program

2009-11-26T13:46:00.002Z

Latest news and an interview about the police operation against the pro-independence youth movement.
Listen to the program

SUPPORT THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS, STOP REPRESSION!!

2009-11-26T08:45:00.005Z

SATURDAY 28TH PICKET LINES

12PM DUBLIN (GPO)

2.30PM BELFAST (CULTÚRLANN)

Spanish police arrest 34 Basque pro-Independence youth activists.

2009-11-25T19:44:00.001Z

In the early hours of yesterday, Tuesday, 34 Basque pro-Independence political activists were arrested and 92 properties were searched in an operation involving 650 Spanish policemen. The police tried to arrest another seven youths but they weren’t in their homes.

Last week the anti-repression organization Askatasuna warned that they believed a police operation was imminent in the Basque Country. Then, in the early hours of Tuesday 24, 34 well known social, political and cultural young activists were arrested in what was the largest police operation in decades. They are being held incommunicado despite the recent recomendations of the United Nations Committee Against Torture.

All of them have been accused of being members of the national and county-level leadership of the pro-independence left-wing youth organization Segi which was banned in 2005.

Just ten days ago the Basque pro-Independence Left held a press conference where 110 prominent members launched new proposals to resolve the conflict. In a historical move they commited to a "peaceful and democratic political process" (full declaration in English: http://www.ezkerabertzalea.info/irakurri.php?id=2600). The declaration was welcomed by Basque nationalist and progressive forces and criminalized by the pro-Spanish parties and media.

On October 13 six prominent pro-Independence Left leaders, among them spokesperson Arnaldo Otegi, were arrested and imprisoned.

Most political parties and trade unions in the Basque Country have seen these arrests as a response to the new political initiative. The pro-Independence Left has said these attacks only confirm the Spanish state's weakness and its fear of politics. According to the pro-Independence Left it's in the political arena where the state is weakest and that's where the confrontation has to be moved to. At the same time the Spanish state, with these arrests and others which might follow, intends on the one hand to prevent any change of estrategy by the pro-Independence Left and, on the other, to weaken the engine of change.

After months of debates and events at local level a national day had been called for this coming Saturday in Zestoa to reorganise and strengthen the broad Basque youth movement. The arrests come to prevent this from happening. Other youth organizations have called for a response to the attack by taking part in that very important day.

Dozens of protests took place in towns, schools and universities across the country and more protests are expected to be organised in days to come.

The Irish Basque Solidarity Committees called to show support for the democratic process and to stop repression. Picket lines have been organised on Saturday 28th.
2.30pm Belfast (outside Cultúrlann)
12pm Dublin (GPO)

United Nations call upon Spanish Government to end torture.

2009-11-25T19:39:00.000Z

Last week the United Nations Committee against Torture released a report after examining the Spanish state’s practice. After persistent ignoring of the international institution’s recomendations the conclusions couldn’t be any other way than to ask the Spanish authorities to end the incommunicado regime and to criticise the light penalties imposed on those found guilty of torture.

The Committee says in the report that “once again we have to express our concern – a concern shared by all the relevant regional and international human rights protection bodies - about the incommunicado regime used by the Spanish state in the terrorism offences, which could go up to 13 days. This regime breaches all the protections typical of a State of Law against ill-treatement and torture.”

Last week the Director of the Spanish branch of Amnesty International met with Navarre Parliament MPs to tell them it’s time to recognise the existence of torture and to implement measures to make it disappear. The protests of Spanish unionist representatives engendered a powerful response from the AI Director who said: “When we release human rights abuses reports about China everybody respects AI’s stand. Why is the opposite here?”.

Commemorations of Basque pro-Independence Left’s leaders murdered by the Spanish state.

2009-11-25T19:30:00.001Z

25 and 20 years ago respectively on November 20th Basque pro-Independence Left’s leaders Santi Brouard and Josu Muguruza were assassinated by Spanish death squads. Santi was murdered in the pediatric nursery where he worked and Josu in a hotel in Madrid where he was to attend the first session of the Spanish Congress to which he had been elected. Josu and other Herri Batasuna elected MPs were going to use their turn to speak to launch a peace proposal.

Both leaders were very much respected and loved and proof of that was in the very succesful events organised during the weekend in the Basque Country to commemorate their lifes and political legacy. On Friday morning the police harassed the commemoration event and hundreds packed a handball court that evening in Bilbao for a very moving rally. Sinn Féin MLA Paul Maskey also took part and expressed the Republican movement’s solidarity and support for the democratic process.

A speaker said the Basque pro-Independence Left was born to win and that it’s time to collect the fruits of many years of struggle and to gather forces to achieve the democratic framework.

Judge rules against extradition

2009-11-25T19:23:00.000Z

Beñat leaving court

‘Charges are politically-motivated and must be dropped’

Judge Tom Burgess ruled last Wednesday that the Spanish authorities’ extradition warrant against Belfast-based Basque activist Artruro "Beñat" Villanueva was “invalid”. The judge rejected the warrant, which claimed that Mr Villanueva was a “member of an illegal terrorist organisation” (Jarrai) from 1994-2000, on the grounds that it did not include any particularities or details of specific offences alleged to have been committed.

The judge further ruled that there was no specific evidence cited in the warrant that proved Mr Villanueva’s membership of the organisation.
On Friday the Prosecution decided to appeal the ruling.

Welcoming the judgment today, Don’t Extradite the Basques Campaign spokesperson Kevin Morrison said: “The judge’s ruling demonstrates the validity in the message that the Don’t Extradite the Basques Campaign has been putting forward – that the extradition warrant against Benat was politically motivated.

“We urge the British government to acknowledge, after today’s ruling, that the cases against both Basque men being sought by the Spanish government are flawed and politically-motivated. The extradition request against Iñaki de Juana must also now be rejected.”

Arturo “Beñat” Villanueva

Mr. Morrison went on to say: “There were several fundamental flaws in the arrest warrant against Beñat, and the lack of particularity – the fact that there are no exact dates, locations or details of participation in any offence by Beñat – made the warrant invalid in the judge’s view.”

“While Jarrai is a solely political organisation, it was declared illegal by the Spanish authorities in 2005 and categorised as a “terrorist” organisation by Spain’s Supreme Court in 2007.

“During the period of Beñat’s alleged membership of Jarrai, the organisation was legal. The non-retrospectivity legal principle was clearly being breached by the terms of the warrant for his extradition.

“Beñat is being targeted by the Spanish authorities for carrying out political, public and peaceful youth work in the Basque Country. His only ‘crime’ was his political ideas in favour of Basque independence and socialism.”
‘Reject warrant against Iñaki de Juana’

Mr. Morrison continued: “The Don’t Extradite the Basques Campaign will continue to oppose the ongoing extradition process against Iñaki de Juana, who is also being targeted on spurious grounds by the Spanish government.

“We believe both men are clearly being persecuted solely for their political opinions, not for any criminal activity. We believe they will not receive a fair hearing with the Spanish judicial system and that they face the risk of torture.

“We urge the Spanish government to rethink its criminalisation strategy against the pro-Independence movement, particularly at this moment in time when significant initiatives towards reviving the peace process have been taken this week by the Basque Abertzale Left movement.

“We urge the British government to acknowledge, after today’s ruling, that the cases against both men are flawed and politically-motivated, and to reject the extradition request against Iñaki de Juana.”

The pro-independence left commits itself to a peaceful and democratic process.

2009-11-23T14:18:00.001Z

110 prominent pro-independence left activists were present last Saturday at a press conference in Altsasu in the Basque Country. There is no doubt it was an extraordinary event that strenghtened the importance of the ocassion.

A three-page declaration entitled “A first step in the democratic process: principles and intentions of the nationalist Left” was read to the gathered media. In it, the pro-Independence Left declares without reservations "support for a peaceful, political and democratic process in order to achieve an inclusive democracy, where the Basque people, freely and without any intimidation of any kind, will be able to decide their future.”

The document puts together and summarises numerous ideas, statements, press releases, interviews that have been carried out during the past year including Batasuna’s debate document launched a month ago. However, it also includes new commitments like the acceptance of the Mitchell principles which opened the path to the peace process in Ireland.

The pro-independence left sets the overcoming of the armed conflict as a priority. According to them this conflict has been perpetuated by the current political framework which divides the Basque Country and denies its people their rights.

The declaration states that “both with correct decisions and errors the pro-Independence Left has brought the liberation process to the phase of political change. Now, the task is to make it irreversible.” For this to happen “new strategies, new political alliances and new tools” are required.

They acknowledge that “the objectives to reach in this new phase are the national recognition of the Basque Country and the right to self-determination and for that it’s necessary to increase the accumulation of forces and to move the confrontation with the Spanish and French states to the front where they are weaker that is the political front. The basic instrument for the new political phase is the Democratic Process.”

Spain’s Minister of the Interior and the pro-Spanish forces and media said there was nothing new in the statement and tried to criminalise it as usual.

The Basque parties welcomed the statement as positive and asked ETA to make a move.

More support messages came from abroad also. Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams said: “Their unconditional declaration of support for a peaceful, political and democratic process should be welcomed by the friends of the Basque and Spanish peoples, by all friends of the quest for peace in the Spanish State. This political initiative needs space to bloom. I reiterate my call in recent days for all involved to create the space.” Mr. Adams was refering to a previous statement last Friday in which he asked for the immediate release of Arnaldo Otegi and the other Batasuna leaders imprisoned a month ago.

International mediator Brian Currin also welcomed the declaration from Venice where he was attending along with Sinn Féin, Batasuna and the Kurdish Workers Party’s represenatives conference on democratic and peace processes.

Prisoners’ relatives ask for a “solidarity flood”.

2009-11-23T14:16:00.000Z

Hundreds of Basque political prisoners’ relatives met last Sunday for their association’s annual conference. At the end of it they held a giant press conference supported by different parties, trade unions and community groups.

The speakers said this has been a very hard year for them and their relatives as conditions in the jails are deteriorating. Prisoners’ rights are breached on a daily basis: dispersal policy, life sentences, ill prisoners kept in jail, solitary confinment and isolation, threats, insults, beatings, communication obstacles, continuous and arbitrary prison transfers without notice ...

Even relatives and friends are harassed and criminalised and are forced to put their lives at risk in long road trips for a visit which then lasts only 40 minutes.

For that reason the relatives appealed to Basque society and especially to political parties, trade unions and social organizations to make a “solidarity flood” together in order to put an end to all the attacks and bring the prisoners home. As a first step they called for a national demonstration on the 2nd of January.

The Basque Political Prisoners’ Collective also released a statement over the weekend to protest against the new personal search measures imposed upon their relatives and friends before visits. The Collective said that the Spanish Government has an incredible lack of respect for dignity and that all these abuses are not going unnoticed by Basque society or the international community.

In fact just last week the Spanish Government took the first steps to reform the current Penal Code so that ex-prisoners will be under permanent control for up to 10 years after they have their sentences to the full. Other measures include the creation of more types of “terrorist offences”.

Campaign for northern Basque Country’s recognition getting stronger.

2009-11-23T14:15:00.002Z

More than 400 people gathered at a rally in Azkaine’s handball court, near Baiona, last Saturday, organised by the Group in Favour of Autonomy.

After years of French scorning the Basque people’s demands a strong campaign for Basque institutions in the north begun. In the 80’s the armed organization Iparretarrak led the way and in the 90’s local mayors and councillors organised and and launched new campaigns. Huge demonstration and signature collections showed the support of the majority of people and political representatives across the board.

Now the French state is in the middle of a territorial administrative zone reorganization but continues to ignore the Basque people’s demands.

It’s in this context that different Basque nationalist forces are coming together to ask for recognition of the Basque Country’s own institutions and the right to decide their own future.
At last Saturday’s rally speakers told the audience that thanks to their hard struggle they had been able to keep the Basque Country alive and that through struggle they would make their dream a reality.

Basque extradition would be ‘grossly inhumane’

2009-11-23T14:14:00.001Z

As Iñaki de Juana’a two-day extradition hearing began in Belfast on November 12, supporters rallied in a demonstration called by the Don’t Extradite the Basques Campaign.

Michael Culbert, director of the ex-prisoners’ group Coiste na n-Iarchimí, addressed the supporters, who included republican ex-prisoners, local Sinn Féin councillors, members of Belfast’s Basque community and others.

“The case against Iñaki is motivated by vindictiveness on the part of the Spanish government despite the fact that there is no evidence against him. The charges are spurious and absurd,” Culbert said at the rally.

The Spanish authorities are trying to extradite the former prisoner and hunger-striker, who served 21 years in Spanish jails, from Belfast, where he moved immediately after his release in August last year, on charges of “glorifying terrorism”.

The arrest warrant is based on a single media report of somebody at a rally in Donostia/San Sebastian last August, which was celebrating de Juana’s release from prison, reading a letter that used the popular Basque expression “Aurrera bolie” (“Kick the ball forward”). The Spanish authorities claim this phrase constitutes a call for the continuation of armed struggle.

De Juana was not present at this rally and denies writing such a letter, which Spanish police admit they cannot produce.

Judge Tom Burgess ruled in March that “glorifying terrorism” was an extraditable offence that had an equivalent under the British Terrorism Act 2006. He said that he did not have to study the quality of the evidence against de Juana, as that was a matter for the Spanish courts.

The defence team in last week’s hearing argued two main points: that the Spanish authorities were knowingly abusing the extradition process, and that extradition would cause a disproportionate threat to de Juana’s health.

Edward Fitzgerald QC, defending, said he believed the Spanish authorities were abusing the extradition process because they knew they did not have any evidence against de Juana, and that the case was politically motivated.

He explained that while the defence had repeatedly requested the case files of evidence against his client, the Spanish authorities had refused to provide any such information or respond to the requests.

Referring to an article published in the pro-Spanish daily newspaper El Pais, which said the prosecution’s case against de Juana “was like trying to build the Titanic with toothpicks”, Fitzgerald said the description was accurate.

“This is an absurdity, but the fact it’s an absurdity doesn’t make it harmless. It makes it dangerous given the consequences,” he said.

The defence also pointed out that the involvement of the Spanish Association of Victims of Terrorism organisation in all stages of the case against de Juana, –from urging it to be launched, to working closely with the prosecution and continuing to monitor the case – reflected the lack of independence on the part of the prosecution.

While the judge had ruled in March that it was not his role to examine the evidence against de Juana, the defence argued that the total lack of evidence of a crime from the prosecution was itself evidence that the charges were politically motivated.

‘Grossly inhumane’
Senior university lecturer at Cambridge University, Dr Adrian Grounds, an expert on the impact of imprisonment on the psychological health of detainees, testified that in his independent opinion, de Juana would face a very serious deterioration in his health and likely, if not certain, death through hunger strike if he was extradited.

Dr Grounds, who had interviewed de Juana for eight hours, said that de Juana’s previous experiences in Spanish prisons had been extremely traumatic and that while he was “a very strong, ideologically committed and resilient person”, his prison experience had left him suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and absolute exhaustion.

De Juana was subjected to repeated beatings while in jail, and Dr Grounds cited the abuses carried out against Basque political prisoners documented by the UN’s Committee on the Prevention of Torture as well as reports by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

He was held in solitary confinement for more than 17 years of his total 21 years in jail. When protesting against attempts to lengthen his term after he had completed his 19-year sentence, de Juana endured first a 63-day hunger strike and then a 115-day strike during which he was force-fed while shackled to his hospital bed.

Dr Grounds said that to return him to the Spanish prison system would very likely result in de Juana going on a hunger strike to the death. He said that in his opinion, this would partly be a political act of protest, but it would also reflect de Juana’s inability to return to the conditions that had caused his exhaustion and PTSD.

Fitzgerald said: “Would it now be inhumane to put him back in custody on the basis of what someone says someone read out at a rally though no-one has the document? We say it's grossly disproportionate and inhumane to do that.”

Amnesty International denounces police impunity.

2009-11-12T20:49:00.002Z

Last week AI published a report where it highlighted the impunity of Spanish police in torture cases. The damming report says there is no political will to put measures in place to prevent torture. AI describes the current system of investigation and punishment of torture as a “black hole”.

The report suggests several procedures and actions to the Spanish and Basque Autonomous Region’s governments to end torture. These include the creation of an independent body to investigate the complaints (up until now it’s the same police accused of the abuse who “investigate” the accusations), setting up video and audio systems in interrogation centres and ensuring that the police wear identification numbers or names on their uniforms.

For many years now AI has asked the Spanish authorities to stop torture and to end the incommunicado period during which it usually happens. The Spanish authorities have continuously ignored AI’s recommendations.

Just two weeks ago the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions spoke against the imprisonment of Batasuna’s spokesperson Professor Landa. The report was initially ignored by the Spanish government but last week judge Baltasar Garzon rejected it and accused the UN body of lack of information on the case.

Six months of illegitimate government in the Basque Autonomous Region.

2009-11-12T20:48:00.002Z

Six months ago the Spanish Labour Party/PSOE took over the three western Basque provinces' regional parliament with the support of the Spanish Conservative Party/PP.

It was the end of 30 years of Basque Nationalist Party/PNV government. The change was possible as a result of the banning of the pro-independence left. In this way the political apartheid imposed by the Spanish authorities reached one of its objectives.

The same type of government is in place in the other Basque regional parliament of Navarre where the Spanish unionist right wing holds power thanks to the support of the Spanish Labour Party and the banning of the pro-independence left.
These strange coalitions show the nature of the state pact against the Basque people’s will for change and democracy.

During the first six months of the Basque Autonomous Region’s government political tension has increased with an extremely repressive summer against all displays of solidarity with political prisoners, the banning of demonstrations and the efforts to make Basque national symbols disappear from public places.

The latest controversy came about last week when the regional Education Minister expressed her aims to make all references to the Basque Country as a nation disappear from the curriculum. She went on to say that Basque language medium education was offensive for 80% of the population.

The objectives of the pro-Spanish political offensive are clear: to turn the three western Basque provinces into a “normal” Spanish region and to make the unionist vision of the region the “neutral” vision in opposition to the “biased” nationalist vision.

Weekend celebrations show the strength of Basque social movement.

2009-11-12T20:47:00.000Z

Last Saturday thousands of young people took over the streets of Arrasate to celebrate the National Student’s Day. The day of events was organised by Ikasle Abertzaleak/Nationalist Students, the largest student organisation in the Basque Country with local groups in secondary schools and universities.

This year's event, organised under the slogan “Drawing the future”, saw debates during the morning around the capitalist and patriarchal system’s effects in education. In the afternoon there was lunch and a demonstration followed. At the end of it speakers from the Basque Country, the Catalan Countries and Ireland spoke about their different student struggles. The day ended with a music festival.

Also on Saturday the Basque international solidarity organization Askapena/Liberation organised its annual Internationalist Day. 300 people gathered in Altsasu for a day packed with events, with a special focus on solidarity with Palestine and the boycott campaign against Israel.

Last weekend also marked the 30th anniversary of the creation of Euskal Herrian Euskaraz/In the Basque Country in Basque. For the last three decades this grassroots organisation has been working hard in defence of, and to promote, the Basque language.

In a press conference they announced many events will be organised in coming months to celebrate the anniversary but more importantly to strengthen the organisation and the two fundamental axes of their work: denouncing and defending the movement against the attacks and the development of a strategy that will lead to a Basque Country that will live in Basque.

Last Saturday more than 1,000 members of the largest trade union Basque Workers Solidarity/ELA gathered in the south of Navarre to pay tribute to the more than 3,000 people executed by the Spanish fascist forces during the 1936-39 war in this Basque province. Among the executed were socialists, anarchists, communists, nationalists...and many ELA members also. This tribute is part of a broader process of recovering the historical memory set in place by many different grassroots organisations created over the past few years across the Basque Country.

Prisoners’ relatives harassed.

2009-11-12T20:45:00.002Z

Last weekend many Basque political prisoners lost their right to visit their loved ones after refusing to submit to being searched by guards in dozens of Spanish jails. It seems like this is another step up by the Spanish authorities in the harassment relatives have to endure to visit the 742 Basque political prisoners.

Friends and relatives have to travel hundreds of miles every weekend to visit them in 85 jails across France and Spain putting their lives at risk on the road. Two of them had to be taken to hospital last weekend and 16 have lost their lives during the past 20 years.

Even the prisoners’ relatives association has been recently targeted in a criminalisation campaign by the Spanish authorities and media.

Prisoners in different jails started protests against these new searching measures.

BASQUE INFO RADIO PROGRAM

2009-11-04T18:59:00.001Z

You can now listen to this week's Basque Info radio program whenever it suits you just by clicking here http://tinyurl.com/ygtkjla 30 minutes of news, music and an interview with Batasuna's representative in Brussels about the new political initiative.

"IT'S TIME TO COLLECT THE FRUITS OF LONG YEARS OF STRUGGLE"

2009-11-04T18:51:00.002Z

Last Wednesday South African attorney and international mediator Brian
Currin addressed a conference in Donostia/San Sebastian. Expectations
were high due to the work Brian Currin has carried out in conflict
resolution in South Africa, Rwanda, Ireland and the Basque Country.

Brian Currin arriving to the conference.

Mr. Currin said he knew the Basque pro-independence left was involved
in a strategic debate and that he had been given details about a new
political initiative. He revealed that in July last year, Batasuna had
asked him to write a report on the anti-aparthied United Democratic
Front experience in South Africa. Then that strategy was discussed
between September and December.

During the conference he said he trusted the Basque pro-independence
left and he encouraged others to support the new political initiative.
He went on to say that he thought the initiative was praiseworthy and
that it has the potential to have a deep impact in the political
situation in the Basque Country. According to Mr. Currin, a democratic
process based on the new political initiative would receive
international support.

He began his speech by talking about the recent arrests of prominent
Basque pro-independence activists such as Batasuna spokesperson
Arnaldo Otegi. He said he was sure the Spanish government knew about
the new proposal and that with the arrests they wanted to prevent it
from being launched.

Mr. Currin said that the Basque pro-independence left should be
legalised and its members released from jail and that the democratic
process should be carried without violence.

The conference is available on line at:
http://www.irishbasquecommittees.blogspot.com/

During the same week veteran pro-independence leader Rufi Etxeberria
was extensively interviewed by the Basque newpaper Gara. He was
recently released on bail after two years in jail for his Batasuna
membership and then arrested the following week along with Arnaldo
Otegi and another eight prominent left nationalist activists just to
be released on bail once again.

In the interview he says “it’s time to collect the fruits of long
years of struggle and not to let them go.” Mr. Etxeberria thinks that
there are appropriate existing political and social conditions to
promote a democratic process and to achive a new democratic framework
in the Basque Country.

For that he considers that the pro-independence left has to reorganise
and strengthen and that it has to become legal. He also thinks a new
broad political and social pro-independence movement has to be created
to promote a democratic framework and at the same time to develop a
pro-independence strategy.

As a third step Mr. Etxeberria speaks of the need to build a popular
wall to stop all the repressive attacks and to demand the release of
all political prisoners.

Finally he says that the negotiation process has to be rebuilt taking
into account the experiences and contents of the last process and that
a Forum for a Democratic Solution should be put in place.

On Monday the pro-independence left decided to make the debate
document available online. In a statement it said that they wanted
everybody to be able to know about it from the original source in a
way to defeat the Spanish authorities' efforts to prevent the new
political initiative and to overcome the ongoing media hysteria and
criminalisation campaign.

Last weekend the National Forum of Debate met at its annual
conference. More than 200 delegates of different organisations took
part and evaluated the work done during the past year. The Forum was
created in 2003 to make a national analysis of the Basque Country’s
political, economic, social and cultural situation and to promote
national building strategies. This year’s conference decided to
establish a commission to promote a common and plural pro-independence
space for citizens to be active in the process of political change.

YOUTH ACTIVISTS JUDGED FOR THEIR POLITICAL WORK

2009-11-04T18:42:00.000Z

Last week five young activists were judged in the Spanish National
Court accused of being members of the Basque pro-independence youth
organisations Jarrai, Haika and Segi. Two of them were transfered from
jail. The other three had been previously released on bail.
Nevertheless they were imprisoned at the end of the trial while
awaiting sentence.

The five youth activists in the Spanish Special Court.

All of them had been on the run when another 31 activists were tried
in 2005, 23 of whom were sentenced to six years in prison in 2007. The
Spanish authorities sought the extradition of four more but French
authorities rejected three of them on the basis of political
persecution and lack of evidence. The fourth is Arturo “Benat”
Villanueva who is currently fighting extradition from Ireland.

Eight young activists were sentence to six years in prison last week
for being members of the outlawed youth political organisation Segi.
115 more are awaiting trial.

During the trials all of them defended their right to do political
work in favour of independence and stated that the trials were
political.