ETA INTENSIFIES CAMPAIGN AGAINST PARTY IN SPANISH GOVERNMENT

Basque Info 21st April

HEADLINES

-A new show trial starts against Basque activists in Madrid’s Special Court.

-ETA steps up its campaign against the Spanish government and the Spanish Labour Party.

-Once again Spanish police targets Basque young people.

-Political apartheid against pro-independence movement.

NEWS

-ETA steps up its campaign against the Spanish government and the Spanish Labour Party.



In the early hours of last Thursday and Saturday ETA warned of two bombs placed at two Spanish Labour Party offices in Balmaseda, near Bilbao and Elgoibar near Donostia/San Sebastian. 30 minutes later both bombs exploded causing substantial material damages.

In the first of the explosion seven policemen were slightly injured.

Pro-Spanish political parties condemned the actions and called protests and police said they would increase protection measures.

These ETA operations come after the armed organization warned in their last statement that they wouldn’t stand still while the Spanish Labour Party arrests, tortures and imposes life sentences to Basque militants and ban pro-independence organizations.



- A new show trial starts against Basque activists in Madrid’s Special Court.




This time 27 Basque activists involved in anti repression work will be tried.
The accused have been working tirelessly to denounce human rights abuses committed by the French and Spanish States. They have denounced torture and defended Basque political prisoners. They are lawyers and activists and are being tried for their work.

It is the third of its kind. The Basque Youth Movement has already been tried and all the 24 accused have been jailed. Social and political activists have also been tried in the 18/98 show trial and 34 of the accused are currently in jail with sentences of 10-17 years.

On Monday the accused refused to acknowledge the courts as this trial is a political trial and the decision has already been made. According to the Basque activists and lawyers the sentence has already been written and they will all be punished.
The accused have received a very warm support from Basque society in particular from relatives of prisoners who have thanked them all for their work in helping their loved ones in prison.


-New raids from the Spanish police.



10 young people were arrested by the Spanish police in the early hours of last Thursday. All of them were taken from their homes in Oiartzun and Orereta near Donostia/San Sebastian.

They have been accused by the Spanish government of dozens of sabotages and attacks against pro-Spanish interests which have taken place in the area in the last three years. As usual, no evidence has been produced against the accused and the media have already sentenced the youth. Among the charges they have been accused of being members of Segi, the banned pro-independence youth movement.

Segi, in a statement released after the arrests said that the media and police are saying nothing but lies. They accused the police and media of criminalizing and attacking the option to organize and fight for a Basque Socialist State.

The anti repression group Askatasuna asked whether the Spanish state will ever learn that what they never achieved in 30 years of repression won’t be achieved at this stage.

Last Saturday dozens of people took part at a press conference in the main square of Orereta to denounce the arrests. It was then when the Basque-Spanish police attacked participants. Two people were arrested and badly injured and one policeman produced his gun and shot twice.

300 people gathered in Oiartzun and 1,600 in Orereta in the evening to show solidarity with the arrested and injured people.

2,000 people took to the streets of Orereta on Sunday against the arrests. More protests have been called for the next few days.

-Political apartheid against pro-independence movement.

Judiciary illegalisation processes are still running against pro-independence political parties. And a parallel banning process is taking place against mayors and councillors of the Basque Nationalist Action/ANV party.

Last week political representatives of the ANV party called a press conference to denounce the new apartheid measures to be put in place by the Spanish Labour Party and their allies in the so called Basque Nationalist Party/PNV.

These parties are increasing the pressure in local councils to remove pro-independence mayors from their duties and to replace them with some of their own. Although this happens after the ETA’s killing of a local former councillor few weeks ago, according to the pro-independence mayors this is a global strategy to isolate and weaken the left nationalist movement. This would leave the path free for new agreements between the Spanish Labour Party and the Basque Nationalist Party.

These agreements would lead to a new fraud against Basque society and wouldn’t resolve the political conflict.

It’s generally accepted that these agreements would consist of a new autonomy statute for the three Basque western provinces which wouldn’t include the self-determination right.


- Jose Luis Zapatero, the Spanish Prime Minister’s mandate has been brutal.



Etxerat the organisation for prisoner’s relatives has published its annual evaluation of repression. In it, the organisation heavily criticises the violence of the current Spanish government and says that they will not accept another mandate of this kind.

Etxerat says that Basques have been enduring daily violence from the Spanish government.

The dispersal policy has also paid its toll. Since 2004, 5 prisoners have lost their lives in jail. 3 relatives have also lost their lives and 270 relatives have been injured in the 100 car accidents that they have suffered when going to see their loved ones in jail at hundreds of miles.

A total of 735 Basques have are currently in prison, the highest numbers of prisoners in recent history.

As to prison conditions, they have become unbearable, with numerous prisoners being kept in isolation and hardly any medical assistance for the ones who need it.
More than 40 prisoners have been in jail for over 20 years and 12 prisoners are critically or terminally ill and the Spanish authorities are refusing to release them.

Etxerat will do everything in its power to fight against such impunity and repression as well as in favour of resolving the conflict in the Basque Country.

- Basque Political prisoners have been suffering from hard and brutal searches from prison officers.

According to Askatasuna, the anti repression organization, political prisoners have become the target of the Spanish and French repression.

Apart from the usual dispersal policy and isolation of prisoners, French and Spanish prison authorities are brutally searching prisoners, their relatives and cells.

In the past few weeks, prisoners have seen their cells searched and destroyed on a regular basis. Some prisoner’s belongings have been destroyed.

In some cases relatives have also been brutally body searched and in one specific case the partner of a prisoner was brought to a hospital for an X-ray as prison officers suspected she was hiding something inside her body.

-Weekly vigils show support to Basque political prisoners.

As every Friday evening the streets and squares of dozens of towns in the Basque Country saw the weekly vigils in favour of the repatriation of the 740 Basque political prisoners. They are currently jailed in more than 100 prisons in France, Spain and Québec.

The Gasteiz/Vitoria vigil with an attendance of 360 people was the largest and the most emotional vigil took place in Lizarra where a tribute was paid to two local elderly people who have been attending the vigils weekly for years without a miss.

In Plentzia locals steped up the campaign for the release of Anjel Figueroa who suffers from severe epileptic attacks and is still kept in jail. 30 of them went on Saturday to show him solidarity outside the prison walls.

-Spanish torture is denounced internationally.

Hans Draminsky Petersen, vice president of the UN Committee for the Prevention of Torture has denounced the lack of resources available for health professionals in Spanish police stations.

In a conference called “Medical reponsibility in the international fight against torture” which took place in the University of the Basque Country, Mr. Dramnsky said that there are different methods of torture depending on the police force involved and that females are more more exposed to sexual attacks. He added that despite torture methods have changed since the 80’s it still is a reality.


- Basques celebrate the International Day of Political Prisoners.

The 17th of April has become the International Day of Political Prisoners and in the Basque Country as well as other parts of the world organized rallies and demonstrations in favour of political prisoners and demanded amnesty and freedom.
The main event took place in Bilbao last Thursday where hundreds of people gathered to demand the repatriation and release of Basque political prisoners.
International guests also took part in the event.

IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY LIKE IN IRELAND: DEMOCRATIC SOLUTION

Basque Info 15th April

Headlines

-Batasuna’s statement on the 10th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

- A new show trial is about to start against Basque activists involved in anti repression work.

- The French government freezes 14 personal bank accounts of pro independence families.

-2,000 people protest in Bilbao against the mayor’s decision to put up the Spanish flag.

News

-On the 10th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement the banned pro-independence party Batasuna launched a statement to highlight that “in the Basque Country like in Ireland there is a solution and this has to be democratic.”

According to Batasuna the Good Friday Agreement established the democratic mechanisms for all the political options to be defended and put in practice. Batasuna also said that self-determination is recognised for the people of Ireland and that institutions and mechanisms of cooperation between North and South have been established.

Batasuna reminded that they didn’t just suggest a model for a negotiation process in the Basque Country but a proposal for a democratic framework as well.

Batasuna reassures its commitment for a democratic solution, dialogue and negotiation as the way forward, contrary to repression. They called on the Spanish prime minister Zapatero to choose between Tony Blair’s or South African prime minister De Klerck’s path or the one chosen by the Turkish and Sri Lankan governments apply against Kurds and Tamil people.


- A new show trial is about to start against Basque activists involved in anti repression work.

The case against activists involved in anti repression work will be tried in a Madrid court. The 33/01 trial, name given to the case will start next Monday.

The accused have made it clear that in the opinion the sentence has already been written and that they will all end in jail.

“The trial will be a farce and at the end of it we will all end up in jail” said the accused.

- The French government freezes 14 personal bank accounts of pro independence families.

Bank accounts of activists of Batasuna and their partners as well as accounts of 4 children have been frozen.

Batasuna and the anti repression group Askatasuna have denounced such measures and have said that it is an attack against a political project.

They have also said that Paris is choosing to take the same path as Madrid.

The families involved have also said that they cannot even make an official complaint as they haven’t been notified of the fact that the bank accounts have been frozen. No reason has been given by anyone for such measures.

-2,000 people protested in Bilbao on Monday of last week against the mayor’s decision to put up the Spanish flag at the balcony of the city hall.

40 different community and political groups called the protest against the Spanish imposition and carried a banner were “Ours is the Basque flag” could be read.

Bilbao’s mayor, member of the so-called Basque Nationalist Party, was criticized for accepting the Spanish law. At the end of the rally organisers said “this situation shows once again that the Basque Country is suffering from an undeclared war. The Basque Country wants to survive. It’s denied of its rights and is confronted by two states that want to impose their identities.”

They called politicians to defend the wish of the majority of Basque citizens against the Spanish impositions.

- The Pro independence movement is prepared to work with anyone interested in working within a democratic framework.

On Thursday the pro-independence movement highlighted that they are prepared to work with anyone who is willing to include self determination as part of an agreement and who is prepared to consult Basque citizens on the future of the Basque country which could include independence. In that sense the pro-independence movement complained that the Basque Nationalist Party/PNV and the Spanish Labour Party/PSOE are trying to reach an agreement to make statutory reform within the narrow terms of the Spanish Constitution.

That kind of reform has proved to be a failure as this is what’s been imposed in the last 30 years and has not given a solution to the conflict.

The pro independence movement has announced that they will keep working to end partition.


PRISONERS

- Basque political refugee and, now, prisoner Ivan Apaolaza’s case has a huge media attention in Montreal, Quebec.

Ivan Apaolaza was arrested in Montreal in June 2007. He was on the run. In March he appeared in front of the judge to assess his case and to decide if he will be expelled to Spain.

According to the anti repression group Askatasuna, Montreal citizens showed solidarity with Apaolaza during the trial, which has received huge media attention.

The defense lawyer made it very clear that there is hardly anything against Apaolaza. The Spanish authorities are looking to arrest him following some declarations made under torture by the Basque prisoner, Ana Egues.

This is the only evidence that the Spanish authorities have against Apaolaza. These are not sufficient evidence to expel him according to his lawyer.

- Despite his serious illness the Spanish prison authorities are refusing to release Anjel Figueroa.

Last Wednesday Anjel had to be rushed to hospital following four new epileptic seizures.
Anjel suffers from serious epilepsy and his imprisonment is making his situation worse.
In the last month he has been hospitalized four times but he has been sent back to prison every time.

The Director of the prison of Langraitz in the Basque Country, where he is currently kept, has actually requested to the prison authorities of Madrid to release Anjel.
But the Spanish authorities are refusing to do so.

As it happens every Friday of the year hundreds of people took part in vigils and picket lines all across the Basque Country to ask for the repatriation of the 740 Basque political prisoners and the immediate release of those who are kept in jail despite being seriously ill or those who have already fulfilled their sentence.

- ETA bombs another broadcasting areal in Nafarroa.

The attack took place on Sunday in a small village called Lapoblacion. The bomb caused minor material damages. The Spanish Guardia Civil also found another bomb close to it . The Spanish government in Nafarroa condemned ETA’sction.

- Hailing the past.

70 years on and the memory of the mass killings of thousands of republicans, socialists and nationalists by Franco’s forces is still very much alive in the Basque Country. In the province of Navarre, where the repression was particularly brutal, many different events have been organized in the last few weeks.

The “Memory bus” will be traveling all around the province to bring testimonies and show what has been kept in silence for so many years. Nowadays the pro-Spanish right wing government in the province still keeps pro-Franco street names. This is just an example of the attitude of the pro-Spanish forces in relation to the political cleansing and the post trauma, repression, hypocrisy and forgotness surrounding the 1936 war.

Although Nafarroa wasn’t a war from, 3,000 people were killed and many more were imprisoned, beaten, raped and humiliate for years.

All of them were remembered by around 2,000 people in a highly emotional tribute last Sunday in the capital of Irunea/Pamplona.

This is the third time that after so many years of repression a public homage has been organized. It shows once again the difficulties imposed by the authorities when it comes to remembering those who gave their lives for their commitment for a just society and a free Basque Country.

-A new controversy flairs up in the Basque Country.

It comes at a time when, as previously mentioned, there are still pro-Franco street names in towns and cities in the Basque Country.

The pro-Spanish political parties, with the help of some so-called nationalist parties, have launched a campaign to change the street names dedicated to assassinated ETA volunteers and other state violence victims.

The pro-independence activists of one of these towns, Zizurkil, organized a press conference to denounce the hypocrisy and the hierarchy of victims. Two of the street names removed this week in Zizurkil were dedicated to Joxe Arregi and Joxelu Geresta. The first one was brutally tortured to death by the Spanish police in 1981 and the second one was found dead during ETA’s ceasefire in 1999. he had clear signs of having been killed by state forces.

The pro-independence activists showed their commitment to achieve a scenario where there will be no more victims, a peace scenario based on rights.



-International PEN organization’s Commission for Writers in Prison denounces the situation of two Basque journalists.

Last weekend during a meeting in Glasgow the international association unanimously denounced the plight of two Basque journalists.

70 writers from 27 countries gathered over the weekend. They were briefed by two members of the Basque PEN branch on the closing down of newspapers, tortures and imprisonment suffered by Basque writers and journalists at the hands of the Spanish police.

Teresa Toda and Jabier Salutregi were sentenced to 10 years in prison each along with other 40 social, political and trade union activists by the Spanish Special Court last December. Both were editors and directors of the newspaper Egin. The pro-independence newspaper was closed down by the Spanish government 10 years ago.

This case will be debated at next September’s International PEN’s Assembly in Colombia.

- 1,500 Basque feminists held their fourth conference last weekend.

Debates took place around the theme of “Our rebel identities and our not submissive bodies” and about the role the feminist movement should play in the process for conflict resolution in the Basque Country.

The expropriation of women’s bodies, the imposition of a body model, a heterosexual model of relationships were some of the specific debates. Workshops and debates around prostitution were also organized.

The main conclusion of the conference was the need for a cohesive Basque feminist movement.

ETA: ONLY SELF-DETERMINATION WILL BRING PEACE

Basque Info 8th April

HEADLINES
- Only self determination can bring real political change in the Basque Country, says ETA.
-After 27 years on the run Basque political refugee Patxi Otaegi, aged 87, died last week in the north of the Basque Country from a heart attack.

-The leadership of the largest Basque trade union ELA has criticized the so called Basque Nationalist Party/PNV’s current position.


NEWS

- Only self determination can bring real political change in the Basque Country, says ETA.

In its last statement ETA takes responsibility for the last 5 actions, including the killing of the Spanish Labour Party member Isaias Carrasco, who was killed on the eve of the March elections. The armed group also takes responsibility for the car bomb attack that destroyed the Spanish police station of Calahorra, as well as the explosions against courts and broadcasting aerials.

According to ETA, as long as the right to decide and territoriality are denied to Basque people there will not be any peace in the Spanish State.

In its statement ETA accuses the Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Zapatero of making a huge mistake by abandoning the negotiation process. It accuses the Spanish government of trying to weaken the pro independence movement, rather than looking for a meaningful solution to the conflict.

By imposing a state of exception against the Basque Country, the Labour government has become as bad as its predecessors Jose Maria Aznar and Felipe Gonzalez.
In the name of Spanish unity, anything is valid against independence.


ETA says that, following Zapatero’s victory in the March elections, he now has to look at the conflict in the Basque Country, because ETA will stay there as long as the conflict is not resolved. ETA makes it very clear that the Spanish state will not have political stability or peace until the right to self determination and territoriality are acknowledged in the Basque Country.


-After 27 years on the run Basque political refugee Patxi Otaegi, aged 87, died last week in the north of the Basque Country from a heart attack.

On Saturday his remains were brought back to his home town in the south of the Basque Country were hundreds of people took part in a popular homage.

At a highly emotional tribute-rally he was remembered for his commitment, developing the pro-independence movement in his home village and then for his firm beliefs and comradeship while on the run in the north of the Basque Country. While in the north he was attacked by the pro-Spanish paramilitaries and saw the killings of many of his comrades in the early 80’s.

During the commemoration, the banner that was put on stage alongside his remains said “Patxi, the best homage is victory”.

He is the second Basque political escapee to die this year away from home.

Around 2,000 Basque people are currently on the run due to Spanish and French repression.

-The leadership of the largest Basque trade union ELA has criticized the so called Basque Nationalist Party/PNV’s current position.

For the last months the PNV has been trying to reach an agreement with the Spanish government ruling Labour Party in an attempt to continue in power as usual, without resolving the political conflict.

The leader of the Trade union ELA has defended the need for all Basque nationalists to stand together in favour of a self determination platform.

In a similar way Batasuna, the pro-independence party that is currently banned, has criticized the Basque Nationalist Party by saying that after 30 years in power in the local government they haven’t done anything to resolve the conflict in terms of self determination. They have added that the PNV has not even responded to the proposal put forward by the pro-independence movement which looks at a united southern Basque Country with autonomy including the self determination right.

According to Batasuna the Basque Nationalist Party is in the middle of a structural crisis and doesn’t have anything to offer to the Basque people.

Pro-independence trade union LAB’s leader has also spoken in favour of unifying forces in favour of independence. He has said that resisting is not enough. It is essential to go further, to advance and to define the steps and strategies.

LAB’s leader has asked the Spanish government to use their new four year govwernment term to solve the conflict through dialogue and negotiation.

-A highly significant example of the Basque Nationalist Party’s current position came up last week. Bilbao’s PNV mayor Inaki Azkuna put up the Spanish flag outside the city hall. A move that has been heavily critiziced by many.

The pro-independence movement denounced that this didn’t happen since Franco times 33 years ago. 26 years ago the Spanish police did the same and every year since then the so called “war of flags” has provoqued huge riots.

Hundreds of people took part at a demonstration in Bilbao last Saturday to protest against the imposition of the Spanish flag.

At the end of the march representatives of the pro-independence movement said that once again it’s been showed that the so called Basque Nationalist Party is nothing else than a puppet in the hands of the Spanish government.

Pro-Spanish politicians said that the same will happen soon in Donostia/San Sebastian.


ARRESTS / REPRESSION

-Two Basque young people stood yesterday in a trial because they refused to consent to a DNA test. The two youths were arrested in the north of the Basque country by the French police while doing a graffiti in favour of Basque political prisoners.

The anti-repression group Askatasuna denounced the fact that these kind of tests were introduced with the excuse of being used in sexual attack cases but it has now being used against political opposition.

- The Basque Spanish police arrests 3 young people in the province of Gipuzkoa for taking part in street riots last October when the Spanish fascists came to Donostia/San Sebastian.

On Saturday 3 young people were arrested in different parts of Gipuzkoa. The arrests were in connection with street riots that took place last 12th of October when the Spanish Fascists decided to come to Donostia / San Sebastian as a show of strength. Basque young people took to the streets and rioted against the fascists causing over 100.000 euro worth damages according to Donostia City Council.

The 3 arrested were brought in front of the judge who charged them with public disorder.

The anti repression group Askatasuna, denounced these arrests and accused the Basque Spanish police of protecting and defending fascists when they come to the Basque Country. Fascists who claim to be racists, xenonophobic and Franquoist.

The Basque Spanish police defend fascists and oppress people in favour of independence, according to Askatasuna.

- The Spanish labour party wants Basque prisoners to rot in prison.

According to the anti repressive group Askatasuna, the PSOE is doing everything in its power to prevent Basque political prisoners from being released and to extend their sentences to spend life in prison.

That’s the case of Fernando Etxegarai, who was released in January of this year after being in jail for over 20 years. The Spanish authorities have now released an arrest warrant against him as they have decided to extend his sentence by 4 more years. According to Fernando Etxeragarai that is pure judiciary cruelty. This new policy has so far been applied to 26 Basque political prisoners.

Askatasuna denounced such prison policies, which aim to destroy the collective of prisoners and physically destroy its members. To protest against such policies, Askatasuna called on Basque citizens to demonstrate and mobilise over the weekend.

On Sunday citizens from Plentzia, Fernando Etxegarai’s home town, demonstrated to demand the end of life imprisonment for Basque prisoners. They showed solidarity with Fernando.

-The pro-independence movement in Leitza, 30 kilometres from Irunea/Pamplona, denounced the last Spanish police occupation of the town last week.

About a dozen of jeeps helped by many foot-patrol took over the town for one hour, harassing and identifying citizens in the streets.

The pro-independence movement said that it is clear who uses weapons to create fear among the civil population.

- Offices of the Basque Nationalist party has been attacked with Molotov cocktails and paints.

On Saturday night in Bilbo the office of the PNV was attacked as well as a cash machine causing material damages.

In Markina a small town in Bizkaia, another PNV office got attacked when strangers threw paint against the office. The attackers also graffitied “PNV let the Basque young people alone.”

OTHER

- The town of Durango, commemorates the dead of 1937.

71 years ago last Monday, the town centre of Durango was bombed by Italian fascist planes.

On March 31st 1937 after the Spanish fascist coup against the republicans, Italian fascist released by air 11 tonnes of explosives in Durango causing nearly 300 deaths.
In the cemetery of Durango in front of the remembrance garden, citizens of Durango, commemorated the dead last Monday. They held a minute silence and laid reiths.

The mayor of Durango, highlighted the need for peace and reconciliation. Apart from remembering the dead he thought that such events can make young generations aware of past atrocities.

-The French State discriminates against minorities.

In a report carried out by United Nation experts regarding minorities, the commission has noted that the French State does not respect the cultural and language rights of minorities. According to the report, minority communities are victims of serious racial discrimination which is ingrained in mentalities and institutions. Therefore it has demanded to the French government to study the report and to adopt appropriate measures to redress the situation.

Paul Bilbao Director of the Basque Language Rights Watchdog said that this report is a huge slap in the Face for the French government. In the name of the French core values of freedom, equality and brotherhood huge differences are created and the rights of minorities are not respected. Bilbao has seen the report as very positive.

-The last worlwide controversy around the Olympic Games in China and the repression in Tibet has shown once again that the Basque conflict is part of the international agenda.

Hein Verbruggen, the President of the International Olympic
Committee's Co-ordination Commission, compared the issue of Tibetan independence to the independence movement in the Basque Country at a conference in Beijing on Thursday.

The statement was made to illustrate the point that the International Olympic Committee should not be involved in politics, and that it could not rule out a country's application to host the games because the country had
internal problems.


Verbruggen said that "in spite of all the criticism we get, I am not afraid to tell you that we will not speak out on political issues. If we look at the candidates for 2016, would the IOC be forced or obliged to speak out because Madrid is a candidate and the requests of the Basques to be independent from Spain?

MORE BASQUE POLITICAL PRISONERS THAN EVER

Basque Info News 17th March-1st April



Headlines

- 739 Basque political prisoners. The number of Basque prisoners reaches one of the highest points in history.
- Thousands of Basques take part in the united Basque National day or Aberri Eguna.

-Thousands of Basque youth take part in the Youth Encounter Gazte Topagunea.

-ETA blows up Spanish police barracks.


NEWS

- 730 Basque political prisoners. The number of Basque prisoners reaches one of the highest points in history.

730 Basque political prisoners. Since 1969 there has not been as many Basque prisoners scattered in tens of prisons in France and Spain.

The number of Basque political prisoners has reached its highest point. We have to go as far as the sixties to find similar figures which was during Franco’s dictatorship.

Although in 1977 an amnesty law was implemented, since then, the number of arrests and imprisonment of Basques has been on the increase.

Since 2000, there has been a huge increase. However, the last months have been the most significant ones. In the last 8 months the number of prisoners has increased by 142 prisoners.

This imprisonment in mass is due to the latest political trials that have taken place against the Basque Youth movement, as well as political and social activists and people accused of taking part in street riots.

Another reason for such an increase of prisoners is the extension of sentences and the obstacles that authorities are putting against releasing Basque prisoners.

Living conditions in prisons have also worsened and prisoners are scattered all around French, Spanish and Canadian jails.


-Thousands of Basques take part in the united Basque National day or Aberri Eguna.



Thousands got together, on Easter Sunday, to defend the path to sovereignty by overcoming political borders.

The Basque Homeland Day took place in the border that divides the Basque Country between the French and Spanish States.

Many Basques from different tendencies and political beliefs took part in the event and highlighted the need to leave differences to one side and start working together.

“We are a nation, seven provinces in one and in favour of self determination” was the slogan for this year’s event.
Despite a wide representation of political parties and social sectors the so called Basque Nationalist Party/PNV was not present.

This the same Basque Nationalist Party which prefers to make a deal with the Spanish Labour Party to maintain its power rather than work towards a resolution of the political conflict.

- Thousands of Basque youth take part in the Youth Encounter/Gazte Topagunea.



Thousands of Basque young people gathered in Lezo, near Donostia/San Sebastian for four days during Easter in the bi-annual Gazte Topagunea or Youth Encounter.

Despite the miserable weather 5,000 young people stayed permanently camped in Lezo. Some other thousands came to the different events organised along the days. Another 2,000 young people came from other countries from all around Europe and America to show solidarity with the repressed Basque Youth movement.

The Basque youth pro-independence movement, once again, showed its huge strength and ability to organise hundreds of gigs, debates, workshops and many more activities, making the Gazte Topagunea a unique experience in Europe.

For four days the Basque revolutionary youth fulfilled their objective of building a Basque socialist independent state of their dream.

New relationships and energies were created during the Encounter and it is now the time to bring these experiences to all corners of the Basque Country.


-An ETA car bomb explosion destroys a police station.



On Easter Saturday ETA planted a car bomb outside the Spanish police barracks. It happened in the middle of the town of Calahorra, just a few miles from the Basque Country. An ETA member called a local emergemcy service to warn about the bomb. 30 minutes later the explosion destroyed the barracks. One policeman was slightly injured. The value of the damage caused was of 3.5 million euros. A new barrack will have to be built outside the town.

Another bomb planted by ETA destroyed a TV signal station outside the Basque town of Azpeitia on Saturday.

-The French police recovered a couple of home-made bombs near a golf resort in the northern Basque village of Ziburu. Beside the bombs on a wall there was a large graffiti which said “The Basque Country is not on sale”.

Many similar actions have been taking place for the last year and a half in the north of the Basque Country. French government boosted tourism and speculation is destroying the environment and forcing young people to emigrate.

-Dozens of people took part in the annual mountain march organised by Eguzki, the Basque pro-independence environmental movement last Easter.

They had to confront snow, rain and cold but they were able to bring their demands for a free and alive Basque Country through the mountains of the province of Araba.

They visited different places where the wind-mills are destroying the landscape and denounced the millionaire business behind them. They pointed at the so called Basque Nationalist Party as the main responsible for it.

The march ended on Easter Sunday, the Basque Homeland Day. At the rally, Eguzki said that without land, without Mother Earth there is not territoriality, there is not homeland and there is not future.

-The Basque-Spanish police harassed and created great tension on Easter Saturday in the village of Ibarra where some events were organised to welcome home two local already former Basque political prisoners.

Hundreds of peole took part in the rally and dinner to welcome Eider Ijurko and Ekaitz Aramendi after 5 years since they were kidnapped by the Spanish police.

It’s usual that the local Basque authorities ban all kinds of homage and homecomings of former Basque political prisoners.

-150 people attended the annual Irish Basque Good Friday Night at the Conway Mill in Belfast organised by the local branch of the Irish Basque Committees. Ska-reggae music and Basque struggle videos created a great atmosphere at the Mill.

The warmest moment of the night came when former Basque political prisoner Jaime Rementeria took to the stage. Jaime was released three years ago after serving 21 in Spanish jails. It was his first time out of the Basque Country.

The Irish Basque Committees presented him with some gifts and Jaime thanked the public for the welcome. He also remembered the comrades who died and those who are still in prison.

The local Belfast branch of the Irish Basque Committees wants to thanks everybody who attend the event for making it another huge success.

-The pro-independence party Batasuna has urged Basque citizens to stop the fraud that the Basque Nationalist Party/PNV and the Spanish Labour Party/PSOE want to commit against Basque Country.

Following the electoral blow that the PNV suffered at the last elections, Batasuna believes that the PNV is prepared to make a deal with the Spanish Labour party at all costs.

A new fraud which will have serious consequences for the future of the Basque Country according to Batasuna.

The PNV is anxious to make a deal with the Spanish Labour Party to maintain their power no matter what.

But such agreement would destroy the possibility of resolving the political conflict within democratic parameters. Batasuna believes that such fraud will extend the conflict and has urged Basque citizens to rebel.

- The Spanish Labour Party is getting ready to present a motion to censure pro independence mayors and council representatives.

Although the pro independence parties were banned from standing at the last general election in March, some were able to take part in local elections last year and won a significant number of council representatives and mayors.

But the Spanish Labour Party wants to present a motion to censure them.

The pro independence movement has highlighted that no one has the legitimacy to do such a thing and that the Spanish Labour Party is trying to exclude the pro independence parties which have proven that there are alternatives to resolving the Basque political conflict.

The pro independence movement has also reminded that in last year’s election 200.000 people voted in favour of pro independence candidates. And to ban these representatives from councils would be to deny a voice to a significant section of the people in the Basque Country.


ATTACKS/PRISONERS

- Basque Spanish police attacks a rally in Eibar Gipuzkoa.

Prisoner Ibon Munoa was granted a visit to go and see his very ill parents. He was accompanied by the police.

A rally was called in support of the prisoner. People shouted messages of support to Ibon. At that stage protesters were attacked by the police.

- People in Zornotza demand the release of prisoner Legorburu and Etxezarreta.

Juan Jose Legorburu has been in prison for 22 years and Joseba Etxezarreta for 10. According to the Spanish law, the two prisoners should have been released in 2001 and 2006, but the Spanish authorities are refusing to do so.

On Sunday neighbours and friends got together demand the release of the two prisoners. In a letter written by the prisoners, they explain that hard times are coming and that this is a time to resist, and demand to each Basque to do their bit.


-“They want to give us death sentences. That is my fear, will I be able to face that.” Said last week former political prisoners and currently on the run Fernando Etxegarai.



Fernando in a press conference this week helped by prisoners relatives.

The Spanish authorities have released an arrest warrant against, Fernando Etxegarai a former political prisoner.

Fernando spent 20 years and 9 months in Spanish prisons. He was released in January after doing his time fully. However, the Spanish court want to jail him for another 4 years.

Fernando knows well the horrendous prison conditions and is scared of having to go back for another 4 years. Prison policies are created to destroy prisoners and he wonders will he be able to face another 4 years.

- The anti repression group Askatasuna has denounced the case against Iban Apaolaza, imprisoned in Quebec.

Iban was arrested last June in Montréal (Quebec). A procedure has been open to hand him over to the Spanish authorities who are looking for him. His name was mentioned by Anabel Egues who is currently in prison and was tortured when arrested. Anabel mentioned Iban’s name while being tortured and the Spanish authorities are now looking for him.

The anti repression group Askatasuna, denounced the witch hunt against Basques who are on the run throughout the world.

In the case of Iban, if he is left in the hands of the Spanish authorities, there is a serious risk of him being tortured.

Due to the current situation in the Basque country, many citizens have been force to flee the Basque Country to avoid being tortured or imprisoned. Currently an estimated 2,500 Basque citizens are on the run and live in countries across Europe and America. Most of them have to endure hard living conditions and many of them have died without being able to come back home.

On Easter the Basque Political Refugees Collective launched an statement on a video format. The statement is read by Joseba Sarrionaindia one of the most famous On The Runs. He escaped from jail 22 years ago and has become since the in one of the most popular and awarded Basque writer.

He says: “We, Basque political refugees, have been living around the world for many years now. We have learnt that the world is wider than France and Spain. We live in Venezuela, Brazil, Ireland, Cape Verde…. all independent nations nowadays. Have they regreted of being independent? No, they haven’t. This is why today as well and in the future, we, Basque political refugees, will continue defending independence for our old nation. We have the right to come back to a free Basque Country and so we’ll do.”


Other news

-Basque citizens don’t feel that they live in a democracy.

Over 60% of the people living in the three Basque western provinces of Araba, Gipuzkoa and Bizkaia are not satisfied with the way democracy works in the Basque Country or in the Spanish State.

These are the latest results of a survey carried out by the local government.

6 people out of 10 believe that democracy is not working in the Basque Country.

66% of the population also believes that human rights are not respected.

The majority of the population also think that people have no right to defend their ideas. They are also opposed to the banning political parties and the political trials against social and political activists.

As to independence, 28% of the population is in favour of Independence against 27% who are opposed to it. 34% of the population would agree to independence depending on the circumstances.


-One hundred people from the Basque town of Idiazabal have been touring Scotland in favour of self-determination during Easter.

Dancers, musicians, Basque sportsmen and women took part in different events in the streets of Edinburgh and Inverness. They were officially received at the Scottish Parliament and local councils.

The Basque delegation carried out banners in favour of self-determination for the Basque Country and Scotland. They created a huge interest among locals and there was also a large coverage of the events in the media.

THOUSANDS OF BASQUES CELEBRATE HOMELAND'S DAY

Basque Info 18th of March (and brief report on Basque National Day; more coming up next week)


Headlines :

- A new show trial is about to start against Basque activists. The third of its kind.

- Basque young people celebrate the National Youth Encounter.

- Thousands and thousands of Basques celebrate their National Basque day, Aberri Eguna.



NEWS :
- A new show trial is about to start. On April 21st, 27 Basques will be called to court in Madrid for being members of the pro Amnesty movement.
Following the political trials against the youth movement Segi and against social and political activists, a new trial is about to start.
Instigated by the Spanish Judge Baltasar Garzon, this time members of the pro-amnesty movement will be tried for their anti repression work.

According to the accused, the Spanish government is using old recipes to destroy the struggle of the Basque Country. But this will be in vain as they haven’t managed to do so, so far.

Special courts, killings, brutal torture, the dirty war, arrests in mass, dispersal of political prisoners, the banning of political parties, lifelong sentences, refusal to release terminally ill prisoners, all these have been implemented with the intention of killing the Basque Country. But none of this has worked. The anti repressive work carried out by Basques is as old as repression itself. The pro amnesty movement has carried out the work and will continue to do so.

-More than 2,500 young people took part in different events in around 90 cities and towns all over the Basque Country to launch this year’s Easter Youth Encounter Gazte Topagunea. The first one was celebrated in 1996. Every two years around 20,000 young pro-independence people gather for four days full of events from political debates, workshops, to music and sport.
For four days the Basque pro-independence revolutionary youth lived in independence and socialism trying to portray the future Basque Country of their dream and which they are fighting for.
MOre information on next Basque Info bulletin.

Last Sunday Basques celebrated the National Basque Day or Aberri Eguna.

A call for a united Aberri Eguna was made last February by many citizens from different social sectors and from different parts of the Basque Country. The response has been very positive and many members have joined the initiative for a united Basque National day. Udalbiltza the Council of mayors has also called on all councillors and mayors to join the initiative.

According to the organizers, the majority of Basque society is in favour of the acknowledgment of the Basque Country as a nation, in favour of territoriality and the right to self determination.

The slogan for the Aberri Eguna was “We are a nation, seven provinces in one. In favour of self determination”. The march left from Irun and crossed the border to the north of the Basque country to end in Hendaia.

More information on next Basque Info bulletin


ELECTIONS

The pro independence movement looses its only seat in the local elections in the North of the Basque Country despite increasing its share of the vote.

Euskal herria Bai the coalition of Basque parties lost its only representative to the local French General Council in Pau.

Jean Michel Galant, Euskal Herria Bai candidate won his seat in 2001 but was not able to keep it. Last Sunday the second round of the French local elections took place. Galant was deprived of his seat following a side deal between centre right politicians.

Although the Basque platform has no representatives in the General Council the elections have been very positive and Euskal herria Bai has had a historical increase in votes. They got around the 15% of the total vote in the first round celebrated the previous week.
Also, for a better understanding of the history of the pro independence movement in the North of the Basque Country next Friday a night for debates, exhibitions video showings and a popular dinner have been organized.
The aim of the night is to review the last 50 years of the pro independence movement in the North of the Basque country and to look at the future.

- The pro-independence movement sees the victory of abstention and the request for change.

The pro independence movement has done an evaluation of the election results in the South of the Basque Country. The last elections took place on the 9tof March in the Spanish State and the pro independence movement was banned from standing any party at the election.
A call to boycott the election was followed by over 185 thousand Basques.

According to the pro independence movement, Basque society does not need to be looking at Madrid or Paris. And the ones who do, have ended up with very bad election results.
That has been one of the conclusions of the election results in the South of the Basque Country.
These elections have shown the need to forget about party political interests and the need to focus on acting as a country.

Parties that have been focusing on Madrid and Paris have lost out in these elections. The most obvious example being the substantial loss of the Nationalist Party PNV.
The pro independence movement has also made it clear that there are only two ways to continue. Either to continue in the conventional way by repeating the fraud of 30 years, or to go forward with radical political change. The proposal made by the pro independence movement for a conflict resolution process remains on the table.

REPRESSION / PRISONERS

- Basque Political prisoner Daniel Dergi has been released after completing his full sentence of 12 years in the French jails.

Daniel who is originally from a small town in the North of the Basque Country was released last Thursday, following a request for remission being accepted.
However, Daniel will not be allowed to comeback home as the French authorities have banned him from entering some of the departments including the Basque Country. He will be living in the French department of Haute Marne at hundreds of miles from home.

Two other prisoners have also seen their sentences extended after fully doing their time. Ander Mitxelena who finished his sentence in February will now have to stay in prison for another 6 years until 2014. And Felix Zabarte another Basque political prisoner is in the same situation.

Prisoner Inma Pacho also got 13 extra years added to her prison sentence. She has been in jail for 17 years and ended fully serving her time last week.
The Spanish Special Court has been implementing its new so-called Parot doctrine which is being used against Basque prisoners. Basque prisoners are actually getting life prison sentences. This is a new strategy to break Basque prisoners.

Many other prisoners have also been transferred to other new prisons in the last week.
The anti repression group Askatasuna, has denounced the cruel treatment that Basque political prisoners are enduring. The group has compared these conditions to the ones in Guantanamo Bay and have called on Basque citizens to mobilise in defence of the prisoners.

Hodei Ijusrko was arrested in Irunea/ Pamplona, last Saturday, by the local navarrese police. He is accused of a petrol bomb attack.
Hodei had to be taken to hospital due to injuries caused by the police during the arrest.. Yesterday he was sent to prison accused of being a member of Segi, the banned pro-independence youth movement.
The anti-repression group Askatasuna denounced the arrest and accused the Navarrese police of getting involved in the political repression. Protests in support of Hodei and to denounce the arrest took place in Irunea and Etxarri Aranatz.

- Women denounce the attack of the police on the International Women’s Day march in Iruna.

On March the 8th while 3000 women were celebrating International Women’s Day in Iruna Pamplona, the police attacked the crowd indiscriminately with batons and plastic bullets.

Militants who had been celebrating International Women’s day couldn’t believe the attack of the police.
A 20 year had to be hospitalised after the police broke her nose.

Organisers highlighted that patriarchy was armed with plastic bullets this year. They also expressed their concern towards domestic violence cases, wondering what way condemnations will be dealt with.

- The group against torture TAT has denounced the passive attitude of the prosecution in the case of Maite Orue.
A police, who is accused of torturing Maite Orue, refused to answer questions in court last Thursday. The prosecution also did not bother asking the accused any questions to the which is what TAT has denounced.
The State Lawyer has also said that he will contest the questions.

-Last Thursday a rally was organised in Irunea/Pamplona to remember Anjel Berrueta in the fourth anniversary of his death.

Anjel Berrueta was a local baker who was killed by a Spanish policeman and his son after he refused to put up a poster against ETA in the aftermath of the Madrid bombings.
The Spanish government accused ETA of planting the bombs that killed hundreds of Spanish citizens in Madrid.


Following a huge hunt against Basques by the media Anjel was killed. He was the first victim. The next day Kontxi Sanchez died in Hernani when she was attending a protest against Anjel’s killing. Demonstrators were attacked by the Basque Spanish police and they injured Kontxi. She died in hospital a few hours later.

Four years on Anjel’s family is still being threatened and harassed. In a letter read by his widow she explained that the only thing that the family want is peace and justice. They asked the politicians to sit for dialogue and negotiation and to resolve the conflict. According to Anjel’s wife, this would be the best tribute to Anjel and other victims.


-71 years ago 100 Basque volunteers were killed in the Spanish region of Asturias. They were killed by Spanish pro-Franco forces while fighting for Basque freedom. Last weekend, after more than seven decades, members of the Basque Science Society Aranzadi found the remains of Candido Saseta the Basque Army Comdanding officer. He was a member of the left pro-independence Basque Nationalist Action/ANV party - the same party that was banned last month by the Spanish government and prevented from standing on elections. The decision has been seen by many as a shameful act and an attack on democracy after the long history of the party in defence of freedom.

-A new community group was launched last week in the Basque capital of Irunea/Pamplona. Its name is Sasoia (Good Health) and is formed by left pro-independence pensioners and retired people. Their aim is to work for independence along with other groups and campaign in favour of decent living conditions for the elderly.

- The Basque train company Eusko tren has been attacked for supporting a high speed train project.
An anonymous caller took responsibility for the attack that took place between two small towns in the South of the Basque Country.

Eusko Tren currently supports a project for a high speed train going through the Basque Country. A huge part of the Basque population is against the project which will only benefit a few and will destroy the Basque landscape.
The anonymous caller made it clear that the attack had nothing to do with ETA and was a protest coming from the people.

THE PRO-INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENT STRONGER THAN EVER

Basque Info 11th March.

Headlines :

- ETA kills a former Spanish Labour Party councillor on the eve of the elections in the South of the Basque Country.

- On election day, despite no political representation, the pro-independence movement manages to keep its strength and say stop to the state of exception imposed by the Spanish state.

- And in the North of the Basque Country, the pro independence movement has increased its vote in a spectacular way.

- Police attack marches organised for International Women’s Day.







-ETA kills a former Spanish labour party councillor on the eve of the elections

Last Friday, less than 48 hours before opening the polls ETA shot dead a Spanish Labour Party member in the Basque town of Arrasate/Mondragon. Isaias Carrasco had been a local councillor until 2003 but didn’t get re-elected in 2007. He had recently decided not use bodyguards.

Friday’s killing has been ETA’s first operation of this kind in the Basque Country since 2003. 5 years ago in the same way, ETA killed a Labour Party councillor in Orio. In the last couple of months ETA has also blown up two Spanish Labour Party offices in the Basque Country.

Last week ETA called Basques to boycott and abstain at the Spanish general elections. The armed organisation also waned of a new period of repression from the Spanish government which has already and will continue after the elections.

Pro-Spanish political parties called citizens to vote in mass after the ETA’s attack. Hundreds of people took part in demonstrations against the attack and some tensions rose when the Spanish right-wing Popular Party politicians came to show support.

In a statement released a few hours after the killing, Batasuna, the banned pro-independence party said that this death shows the crude political and armed conflict in the Basque Country. Batasuna said that this action shows that a resolution to the conflict needs to be a priority for all political organisations.

Batasuna emphasized the need to look at the causes of the conflict. It also highlighted that Batasuna has already made real and meaningful proposal to resolve the conflict. Batasuna also regretted that some others keep trying to deviate the focus of the issue.

Finally Batasuna reaffirmed their commitment to continue working for a situation where all rights of all Basque citizens will be respected.

ELECTIONS IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY

- On election day, despite no political representation, the pro-independence movement manages to keep its strength and say stop to the state of exception imposed by the Spanish state.

- The victory of abstention from Basque pro independence voters,
- The victory of the Spanish labour party in the autonomous community of the Basque Country,
- And the failure of the Basque Nationalist party to maintain its seats are the key results of last weekend’s elections.

A call for an active abstention from the part of the Basque pro-independence movement gave excellent results at the weekend.

All Basque pro-independence parties were banned from standing in last weekend’s elections in the South of the Basque Country.

With no party to vote to, the pro-independence movement called on people for an active abstention which had excellent results.

About 2,5 million people had an opportunity to vote in last Sunday’s general elections in the South of the Basque Country.

The 540,000 votes gained by the Spanish labour party and the 185,000 votes retained by the pro-independence movement, have made these two sectors the winners of the Southern Basque elections.

There were also losers. In a historic way, the Basque Nationalist Party has lost 25% of its vote which is 120,000 votes less, making the PNV the second strongest party after the Spanish Labour Party in the Basque Country. And the smaller parties have also been squeezed out.

As to the pro-independence movement, it has retained its strength against all odds. By refusing to cast their vote Basque citizens have said stop to the state of exception imposed of the Basque country and yes to a democratic solution of the political conflict. It can be said that there is a strong core of around 200,000 votes in the south of the Basque Country for the left pro-independence movement.

Despite the end of the ceasefire and the negotiation process last year, the increase of repression against the pro-independence movement and an anti abstention call from most political parties, the pro-independence movement has managed to keep its strength.

Reaction of pro-independence movement.

Marian Beitialarrangoitia, pro-independence candidate, who was prevented from standing in the election, said that the high percentage of abstention shows that these elections have not been normal elections. She went on to describe these elections as the most anti-democratic ones in the last while.

Election day was also marked by the killing of a former Labour Party Councilor by ETA on Friday. Political analysts would argue that the killing actually helped the Spanish Labour Party’s vote out in the Basque Country.

Election day was also marked by protests, rallies and sabotages.

Although the media tried very hard to broadcast a normal election day, the reality was very different. Pickets, sabotages and different types of actions to protest against the state of exception imposed on the Basque Country were the reality.
The police presence was also significant in all protests and rallies. Basque citizens were threatened, attacked and over a dozens people were arrested. 225 Basques were also identified by the police in protests and rallies and 50 people may be charged with obstructing elections.

Protests and rallies were also attacked by the police and people were injured.
Hundreds of sabotages also took place throughout the Basque Country. Motorways closed, polling stations attacked, voting papers missing, boxes destroyed and many other protest actions were organized to prevent and protest against this anti democratic elections.

-And in the North of the Basque Country, the pro independence movement has increased its vote in a spectacular way.

The local and municipal elections in the North of the Basque Country have been very positive for the pro-independence movement who increased his vote in a 41% making it up to an overall of 15% of the votes.

In a coalition of different Basque pro-independence parties, Euskal Herria Bai contested the elections in the North of the Basque Country.

The French authorities have not banned the pro-independence parties in the North of the Basque country. This has allowed Batasuna alongside other Basque parties to stand on elections.

The pro independence parties under the Euskal Herria Bai ticket will therefore have an opportunity to be present in the second round of the elections this coming weekend.

ARRESTS AND REPRESSION

-Spanish Police attack marches organised for International Women’s Day.

Last Saturday was International Women’s Day and as every year demonstrations were called in the Basque Country. Thousands took to the street in lots of cities and towns across the Basque Country.

In the capital, Irunea/Pamplona, the demonstration was banned by authorities. It was therefore replaced by a popular dinner. At the end of the dinner 3,000 people gathered in a parade with music and street animation. It was then when the Spanish police appeared and charged brutally against women, men and children.

One woman had to be taken to hospital and a 15 year-old also got his nose broken.

The pro-independence movement denounced the hypocrisy of the authorities. While they allowed protests against ETA’s killing they attacked peaceful parades in favour of women’s rights.

- The two young Basques arrested by the Basque Spanish police last week are released without charges.

Last week we informed you of the case of two young Basques who were arrested by the Basque-Spanish police. They were portrayed by the police authorities and the media as some of “the most wanted terrorists”.
They were released without charges a few days after their arrest.

The two Basque youths were actually waiting for a date to present themselves at the Spanish Special Court in Madrid. The Court actually refused to hear them on 3 occasions. This when the media and the police criminalization started. The case shows once again the vicious work of the police and the press against Basques.

The anti-repression group Askatasuna denounced that these detentions came after the young Gorka Lupianez was brutally tortured last December.

-Three relatives of a Basque political prisoner had a road accident on their way to a visit in a prison in Madrid. The three passengers were taken to hospital. Thousands of friends and relatives travel hundreds of miles every weekend to see their loved ones. 730 Basque political prisoners are scattered in more than 100 jails across France and Spain.

-Once again last week, around 50 towns and cities in the Basque Country saw vigils and picket lines in support of the Basque political prisoners. The largest were in Gasteiz/Vitoria and (523 people), Irunea/Pamplona (310 people), Donostia/San Sebastian (230) and Hernani (200). These are weekly gatherings and have been organised for more than 20 years.

-The Association of European lawyers denounce the situation of Basque political prisoners.

More than 300 European lawyers met recently in the Italian city of Pisa to discuss the current situation in prisons throughout Europe, prisoners rights and alternatives to the current jail system.

The meeting was organised by the Association of Democratic European Democratic Lawyers and consisted of many different workshops and debates. The current situation in the Basque Country was brought to the attention of participants by many lawyers.

The President of the Committee for the Prevention of Torture of the Council of Europe asked the Spanish government to abolish the so called anti-terrorist legislation.

A member of the French Layers Union also denounced the situation of the Basque prisoners in the French and Spanish prisons.

A lawyer of the Catalan Association of Human Rights remembered the cases of the Basque political prisoner Inaki De Juana and many others. Inaki who has served over twenty years in prison saw his sentence extended by 12 more years for writing an opinion piece in a newspaper.

The Catalan lawyer highlighted the fact that the Spanish government is making up and opening new cases against Basque prisoners in order to prevent their release and to keep them in jail for life.

At the end of the Congress the president of the Association of European Democratic Lawyers denounced the ambiguity of the term terrorism. He also recalled the show trial case 18/98 against Basque political and social activists as an example of the misleading use of the term terrorism and its terrible consequences.

Last December, 42 well known pro-independence people were sentenced to up to 22 years in prison for their public and peaceful political work.

ELECTIONS UNDER STATE OF EXCEPTION

Basque Info 4th March

-The Basque Country North and South is getting ready for election this Sunday.

-The pro independence movement and a whole range of groups are calling for a boycott of the elections in the South of the Basque Country.

-ETA calls Basque people to abstain and boycott the Spanish general elections.



ELECTION AND STATE OF EXCEPTION

- Thousands of Basque citizens march in Irunea/Pamplona to call for an active abstention on Sunday’s election.

Last week the campaign for Spanish general elections
was officially launched. In the last weeks, parties representing the Basque pro-independence movement have been banned by the Spanish court in order to prevent them from standing in this election. Spanish authorities have left a significant section of the Basque electorate without a party to vote to.

The pro-independence movement has called for an active abstention from the Basque population.

To defend this alternative, last Saturday 3,000 people took to the streets in Irunea/Pamplona. The pro independence movement sees abstention as the only effective option to respond to the state of exception imposed by the Spanish state over the Basque Country. This demonstration was the biggest election event in the province of Navarre since the beginning of the campaign.

- The armed organisation ETA has also called on basques to abstain on Sunday.
Last Saturday ETA published a statement calling on Basque people to respond against the state of exception and against the brutal repression of the Spanish state. ETA asked Basque people to boycott Sunday’s Spanish general election by abstaining.

According to ETA active abstention is the most effective way to show the next Spanish government that after the elections the Basque nation will be ready to confront them and to continue fighting for freedom.

ETA said that the Spanish repressive offensive of the last few months announces a new period of oppression after the elections.

ETA also says that the objective of this repressive campaign is to deny the Basque Country’s right to self-determination.

ETA remembers that the Spanish Constitution was imposed in the same way 30 years ago. Since then Basque people have been responding to oppression through struggle. And this shows that the Spanish laws don’t have any kind of legitimacy in the Basque Country.

ETA ends its statement by criticizing those who call themselves Basque nationalists and will be taking part on Sunday’s elections with complete normality.

- Trade Unionists call for abstention to defend the democratic framework.
More than 30 trade unionists from different unions have personally signed a document which calls on Basque society to abstain on Sunday’s election. This is to demand democratic conditions and to boost a democratic framework which includes the acknowledgement of the Basque Country including independence.
In a press conference where most signatories took part they made a proposal for workers to abstain in front of a state of exception.
They denounced the systematic attack of basic civil and political rights that an increasing number of Basque citizens and organizations have been enduring in the last years.
They also highlighted the fact that the basic rules of the game to channel the will of the people and determine the level of representation of different political options have been totally subjected to media scrutiny through. This through suspensions, bannings and repression and have left a very significant section of Basque citizens without any political option and without any civil and political rights. They have also said that anyone with a minimum of democratic sensitiveness cannot accept this electoral process. Union members are saying stop to a Spanish democracy which is denying a future and pretends to continue pressing with confrontation, suffering and imposition rather than opening the doors to a new political cycle.
Pensioners from Nafarroa have also called upon Basque citizens for a gesture of rebellion through abstention. According to the group Basque people have to respond as a country and they said that today’s abstention is tomorrow’s democracy.

- Anitzak, the initiative which involved immigrants who have made Euskal Herria their home have made their voice heard this week. They are demondaing a democratic resolution to the conflict and have denounced the attack on civil and political rights.
Members of Anitzak, said that the Spanish state cannot be called a state of rights. For this reason they have agreed make their countries of origin aware of the anti democratic situation in the Basque Country. They will be organizing actions in front of embassies and consulates. Tomorrow for example a rally will be organized in front of the German consulate in Bilbao.
Anitzak is backing the process of dialogue that was opened to reach a democratic solution to the political conflict.
- Basque rock groups reject repression against independence.
Famous and historical rock groups have released a public statement rejecting, imposition, repression and the actions to silence the Basque pro independence movement. They have demanded Independence.
According to the musicians, the Basque pro independence movement has been suffering a witch hunt in the last decade. They reminded the closure of newspapers and radios, the banning of the youth organisation as well as political parties. They also mentioned that Basque rock groups have also been affected by repression, through prosecution and attacks from Spanish nationalism.
According to the musicians, there is no freedom of expression and a state of exception has been imposed on Basque citizens.
The document has been signed by Basque musicians and is hoping to get widespread support in the next few days.
They also held a concert in Gasteiz Vitoria last Friday in which hundreds of people took part.


- European lawyers are analysing the banning of political parties.
The International Association of Lawyers has made public their opposition against the banning of the Basque Nationalist Action or ANV party and the Basque Communist Party.
These two parties were banned and have been prevented from standing on elections.
The International Association of Lawyers has also announced that they are going to analyse these measures based on European and International legislation.

- Batasuna calls on Northern Basques to strengthen their project by voting.
The three Northern provinces Lapurdi, Behe Nafarroa and Xiberua are in full electoral campaign. For a direct response against the aggression of the French State and in favour of the acknowledgement of the Basque Country, Batasuna has highlighted the need to strengthen their project through votes. It has called on Basque citizens to come out and vote on the 9th and 16th of March on the local elections in favour of Euskal Herria Bai a coalition of Basque parties including Batasuna.
According to Batasuna, the pro independence movement has an undeniable presence and is the only alternative for pro independence Basques.

Prisoners and repression

-Hundreds of people gathered in vigils and picket lines all over the Basque Country throughout the week in support of Basque political prisoners. They demanded the repatriation of more than 700 prisoners, the release of those who have already done their time and of those who are terminally ill as well as better prison conditions and political status.

-Another protest took place in Algorta, near Bilbao, to demand the release of the Basque political prisoner Anjel Figueroa. Anjel suffers from a range of serious illnesses. He had neurological illness which developed into epilepsia and sclerosis. According to Spanish legislation he should have been immediately released due to his circumstances but the Spanish authorities are refusing to do so.

Last Saturday, hundreds of people rallied and took turns over nine hours at vigil to show him support and to demand his immediate release. Representatives of local community groups such as youth groups, cultural associations, as well as sportspeople, councillors, relatives and friends took part in the vigil.

- University students in Gasteiz/Vitoria organised bus trips to two jails in Madrid to show their support and solidarity to the Basque political prisoners. From the outside of the prison, protesters were able to communicate with seven of the political prisoners kept currently in isolation. Protesters also denounced the police harassment suffered during the trip.

- Last December three prisoners stated a peacefull protest when the Director of the Spanish Jail System went to visit the prison of Soto del Real in Madrid.

As punishment, this week the three prisoners have been sent to prisons in the very south of Spain. Their families will now have to do travel approximately 1,400 miles to visit their loved one’s at weekends.

-Dozens of university students gathered at the Bilbao’s college to protest against torture.

They denounced that on the XXIst century torture is a systematic practice against Basque citizens and that a state that uses torture can’t be called a democracy According to the students this proves that a state of exception is imposed upon the Basque Country.


- Askatasuna the anti repression organization will continue to work and will not respond to the leaks heard in the Spanish Radio Cadena Ser.
Last Monday Cadena Ser leaked a police report which mentioned that Spanish Security forces were getting ready for a raid against Askatasuna. According to the report Askatasuna runs the groups involved in street rioting.
The report also says that young people arrested last October in Bizkaia and accused of street rioting were linked to Askatasuna. This news has arrived following the 6th security operation against young people. The arrested youths are accused of taking part in streets riots in Gasteiz Vitoria last week.
Following the speculation Askatasuna has said that they will keep working and that the report broadcast in Cadena ser was there to support the repression strategy.
- The Basque Spanish police allow Spanish Fascists to march in Donostia San Sebastian while silencing protesters.
About 50 fascists arrived to the streets of Donostia to show their Spanish Patriotism.
Following the failure of the march last October in which serious incidents took place and prevented the fascists march going ahead, this weekend the right wing saponiards decided to march again in the streets of Donostia. This time around they were well escorted by the Basque Spanish police. Fascist emblems and anthems could be seen and heard as well as insults and death threats against Basques.
Although some of the police officers escorting the march felt uncomfortable they did not hesitate to attack demonstrators who came out to protest against fascists, and to express their anger. The police even identified protesters and arrested two of them.
Over the weekend other fascist marches took place in Iruna Pamplona, Bilbo and Gernika.
-In the early hours of last Friday ETA blew up the office the Spanish Labour Party in Derio, near Bilbao. Before the explosion an ETA volunteer phoned in to warn of the bomb. The police evacuated the surroundings. Although material damages were significant, no one was injured. Pro-Spanish politicians condemned the action.
- A new youth group Ideia Zabaldu that will defend autonomy for the North of the Basque Country has been launched.
According to the young people involved, autonomy for the North of the Basque Country will help them win basic rights for young people.
The French State is responsible for the lack of rights of young people in the North. The issues include, having to study outside of the Basque Country, housing issues and the state of the Basque language.
The group has also called on Basque youths to vote for the coalition of parties Euskal Herria bai on Sunday.

INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY WITH THE BASQUE COUNTRY AROUND THE WORLD

Basque Info News 26th February

HEADLINES

- The pro-independence movement calls on Basque citizens to abstain on election day.

-Dozens of events are organised all around Europe and America during the International Week of Solidarity with the Basque Country.

-Many events are organized on the 5th anniversary of the closure of the Egunkaria newspaper.


NEWS

ELECTIONS

- The pro-independence movement calls on Basque citizens to abstain on election day.

Six hours before the election campaign started spokespeople for the illegal pro-independence party ANV, Basque Nationalist Action held a press conference where they called on Basque citizens to abstain.

On the 9th of March general elections will be held in Spain. Within the broad repressive campaign launched by the Spanish government two pro-independence parties have been banned as an attempt to silence the movement.

Abstention is the only option left for pro-independence supporters. ANV spokespeople highlighted the fact that they are calling for an active abstention to rebel against the fascist and opressive Spanish state, to make political change possible and to open the doors to independence.

ANV members said that it is now time to say stop to repression, stop to the state of exception and to build a huge popular barrier against oppression and denial of rights.

The ANV representatives reminded that 30 years ago a huge opportunity for change was lost because the Spanish Labour Party and Basque Nationalist Party betrayed Basque citizens. “We are once again in a similar situation and political change is about to come. This is why any kind of new fraude has to be confronted. A democratic situation where the right to self-determination is included needs to be created.”

ANV have called on Basque people to abstain as they see this the strongest weapon available to overcome repression and fraude.

At the end of the press conference, nine people were stopped and identified by the police.

200 people held another press conference during the week to call on Basques to abstain on election day. By doing this they want to highlight that the Spanish state doesn’t have a problem wih the pro-independence movement but with the whole of the Basque nation.

They said that it’s time to respond united as a nation to defend the right to self-determination and independence as the only way to survive.

-Hundreds of young people took to the streets last week in six different towns of the Basque Country to support abstention on election day. According to the young people there is no future for Basque youths under the current political situation.

-Members of the banned pro-independence party ANV have been gathering wide support in a European tour. They have been touring Europe for the last two weeks. They visited Germany, Flanders, Norway, Danemark, Finland and Sweden. They were received officially at the German and Flemish parliaments. They met with different political parties which are in power in all these countries.

The ANV party gave media interviews and participated in public talks.

The main objective of this tour was to bring attention and raise awareness around the systematic banning of Basque pro-independence political parties.

According to ANV members during the meetings political representatives committed themselves to raise this issue in their parliaments and local councils and expressed their support to ANV.

- The North of the Basque Country is also getting ready for elections.
Citizens from the provinces of Lapurdi, Behe Nafarroa and Xiberua will be voting on the 9th of March and the 16 of March to elect their local representatives to the French General Council which is based in Pau.
Euskal Herria Bai, the coalition of Basque pro-independence parties, including Batasuna, will also present candidates for the General council.
-Dozens of events took place all around Europe and America during the International Week of Solidarity with the Basque Country.

Events such as talks, protests, dinners, gigs, signatures collection, radio programs, exhibitions… were organised in Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Portugal, Colombia, Venezuela, Chile…

In Caracas, Venezuela Basque supporters were attacked by the local anti-Chavez police with tear gas.

In Ireland and organised by the Irish Basque Committees in Derry, Belfast, Cork and Dublin people took to the streets to show solidarity with the Basque people and to defend their right to self-determination.

In a press release the Irish Basque Commitees said:

These are hard times in the Basque Country. The Spanish and French governments respond with repression to the calls for dialogue, negotiation and recognition of the Basque Country’s right.

200 political, social and union activists have been arrested since the negotiations broke up, two political parties have been banned and hundreds of thousands of people have been left out of the next elections, peaceful demonstrations are brutally attacked, arrested people are savagely tortured, political prisoners are scattered at hundreds of miles from home…

The Irish Basque Committees want to let the Basque people know they are not alone on their struggle for democracy, rights and peace.

The Irish Basque Committees want to call upon the Dublin and Belfast governments to use their influence to persuade the Spanish and French governments to accept that Basque people have the right to decide freely their future, including independence, and to respect that decision.

- Many events are organized on the 5th anniversary of the closure of the Egunkaria newspaper.
Last Wednesday was the 5th anniversary of the closure of the Basque language newspaper Egunkaria.
The Spanish Civil Guard came to the offices of the paper and arrested many workers. During the arrest they were heavily tortured. Apart from the closure of Egunkaria other companies around the paper have also been affected.
After 5 long years, the court case is still to be heard and the 12 accused are all waiting trial.
In order to protest against the decision of the Spanish court to close the paper 5 years ago, many protests, rallies meetings and other events have been organised in towns and villages in the Basque Country.
The main rally was held near the closed offices of Egunkaria last week. Political parties, trade unions, other representatives and Basque citizens took part in a protest against the closure and in support of the accused workers.

In Catalonia protests were also organised to remember what happened 5 years ago and to demand the cancellation of the trial.

There are currently 2 different trials to be held against Egunkaria. A general case that brought the closure of the paper and an economic trial. 12 people will be tried in these 2 cases.

ARRESTS/REPRESSION
- Out of 730 Basque political prisoners, 169 have completed the ¾ of their sentence and 55 are being kept in complete isolation.
The political situation in the Basque Country is widely marked by the huge repressive measures of the Spanish government. In 8 months there have been 200 arrests which have been kept incommunicado. The situation in French and Spanish prisons is getting worse.
730 Basque political prisoners is one of the highest figures of prisoners in a very long time. From the beginning of this year 100 people have been arrested so far. If things continue to progress in this way this year will break all repressive records.

In 2007 only, 295 people were arrested in the Basque Country due to their pro-independence political stands.
Behind this figure hides the dramatic reality that Spanish and French authorities are trying to hide : Prisoners with incurable illnesses, life sentences imposed by Spanish authorities, lack of healthcare, cruel prison conditions, isolation and dispersal of prisoners.
There are currently 12 Basque prisoners suffering from chronic and incurable illnesses that Spanish authorities are refusing to release.
Over 55 prisoners are also kept in complete isolation in their cells with no natural light for some.
- Etxerat the Basque political prisoner’s relatives group has also denounced the dispersal of Basque prisoners and has said that the situation is very serious. In the last few weeks many prisoners have been transferred to new prisons even further from home. The situation is unbearable and is an attack on the prisoner’s rights.
Etxerat has highlighted that no prisoner has been repatriated. On the contrary prisoners have been transferred to prisons further from home. These transfers have serious consequences for prisoners and their relatives.
During transfers prisoners are handcuffed for very long hours and kept in small cages. While on transfer prisoners have no access to phones. Families have no news about their loved ones for many days. This is unbearable.
Doing an evaluation of last year, Etxerat highlighted that 40 family members have been involved in car accidents when going to visits their loved one’s in prison. One person died in an accident. As to cruel prison conditions, 4 Basque prisoners have tried to take their own life.
The number of prisoners keeps increasing and Etxerat has called on Basque people to mobilize and protest.
In support of the rights of Basque political prisoners hundreds of people take part in protests every Friday in cities and towns in the Basque Country.


- The Basque Spanish police attack a protest against torture.
Last Friday was the trial of the 8 Spanish military police Guardia Civil who are accused of brutally torturing Igor Portu and Mattin Sarasola. The two men were arrested by the Spanish police in January and heavily tortured.
While inside the court the 8 accused were undergoing their trial outside Basque citizens organized a protest to denounce torture. Basque-Spanish police did not hesitate to attack protesters indiscriminately and with plastic bullets. Some of the protesters had to be brought to hospital.
Meanwhile in the court, the Spanish policemen denied any wrong doing and any accusation of torture. The accused explained the injuries of the 2 arrested men by saying that they had to use force to during the arrest.

- As we informed in last week’s Basque Info six young people were arrested by the Spanish police in the last attack against the pro-independence youth. 70 young people have been arrested since last July.

Dozens of pro-independence supporters held a press conference in Gasteiz/Vitoria where the arrests took place. A spokesperson highlighted that the Spanish government is trying to weaken the pro-independence movement to put an end to any kind of opposition. They warned of the danger of an agreement between the so called Basque Nationalist Party and the Madrid government which wouldn’t include the self-determination right.

They called upon the young people to continue working day and to join forces in favour of independence and socialism.

Six of the five young members of the youth movement arrested last week in Gasteiz/Vitoria were imprisoned. The sixth one was released on a 24,000€ bail.


-Another Basque political refugee was arrested by the French police in the northern Basque town of Hendaia.

Koldo Mitxelena had already been arrested and in prison before. The arrest of Basque political refugees has become a weekly event.

- The French police arrested a Basque citizen, Ane Marie Toyos and released her few hours later.
Toyos was sentenced to 4 years in prison last year. However, she was released as she had been imprisoned for 8 months in 1999.
The anti repression group Askatasuna, denounced Toyos’ arrest and the repressive attitude inflicted by the French judiciary upon Basque citizens.
According Askatasuna, Ane Marie’s arrest was linked to the raids of pro independence bars last November.
- The two men arrested last week by the French police denounced the arrest as very violent.
Joseba Iturbide and Mikel San Sebastian were arrested last Friday in Donibane Lohitzune/St. Jean de Luz in the north of the Basque Country . They were on the run and were being housed by Basque activists who were also arrested.
The Lawyer of the two men informed the media that San Sebastian had to get 10 stitches on his nose and Iturbide has injuries in one ear. According to the 2 men the arrest was very violent.
The two men were arrested following a Euro warrant ordered by the Spanish authorities and will remain in prison until the extradition request is examined.
The couple who housed the two arrested men have also been imprisoned in Paris for helping Basque activists on the run.

-Despite Spanish repression the pro-independence movement continues with its campaign make the Proposal for a Democratic Framework public. A month ago pro-independence spokespeople Pernando Barrena and Patxi Urrutia were arrested shortly after launching the campaign and holding the first of a series of public meetings.

These arrests were seen as an attempt to silence the content of the negotiations between Batasuna, the Spanish Labour Party and the Basque Nationalist Party. Those conversations took place at the end of 2006 where a pre-agreement was reached. Problems arose when the pro-independence movement asked for a more specific and detailed plan to implement the agreement and to ensure that independence was an available option.

It was then when the Spanish Labour Party and the Basque Nationalist Party left the negotiating table and never answered the requests of the pro-independence movement.

Once the negotiations broke up, ETA attacked Madrid airport. It was after that that a new round of negotiations begun between ETA and the Spanish government on the one hand and between Batasuna and the Spanish Labour Party on the other hand.

Those conversations ended in May last year after the refusal of the Spanish government to accept a viable proposal of an autonomy for the four Basque provinces under Spanish rule including the right to self-determination.

ETA then ended the cease-fire in June last year.


-Last Friday ETA blew up a TV broadcast aerial located in a mountain near Bilbao. According to the Basque-Spanish police ETA tried to kill the policemen who went to deactivate the bomb.

This is ETA’s second action this year. Two weeks ago another bomb destroyed the court buildings in Bergara, near Donostia/San Sebastian two weeks ago.

- Basque citizens have called for a united Aberri Eguna (Basque National Day).
59 Citizens from different social sectors and from different parts of the Basque Country have called for a united Aberri Eguna 2008 which will be the beginning on the way towards sovereignty.
According to the organizers, the majority of Basque society is in favour of the acknowledgment of the Basque Country as a nation, in favour of territoriality and the right to self determination.
This National Basque day will take place on Easter Sunday 23rd March. Taking into account what the Basque Country is currently facing the organizers see it essential that the Basque people are seen as a nation.
The slogan for the Aberri Eguna is “We are a nation, seven provinces in one. In favour of self determination”. The march will leave from Irun Gipuzkoa and will cross the border to the north of the Basque country to end in Hendaia.