Basque Info podcast

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

Basque Info 2/06/10

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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


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

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

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


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

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

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


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

Basque Info 26/05/10

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

Thousands march in support of youth activists

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

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

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

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

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

Another successful Basque language festival

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

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

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

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

Alleged ETA activists arrested

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

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

Four of them were eventually confined to jail yesterday.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Basque Info podcast 19/05/10

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

Basque Info bulletin 19/05/10

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


Massive demonstration in favour of the Basque language

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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


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

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

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


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

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

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Basque Info 5 & 12/05/10

Basque Info 5 & 12/05/10

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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


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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Basque Info podcast

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

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

Basque Info 28/04/10

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


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

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

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

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

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

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


New campaign for northern Basque autonomy launched

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

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

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


Campaign for civil and political rights gains momentum

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

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

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

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


Egunkaria Five thank supporters and warn about new attacks

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

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

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

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

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

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

Basque Info podcast

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

Basque Info 7 & 14/04/10

Basque Info 7 & 14/04/10

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

International declaration of support for democratic process launched

Basque Info 31/03/10

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

International declaration of support for democratic process launched

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

International Conference on Self-Determination backs indicted Basque political representatives

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

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

Thousands demand economic model change

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

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

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

8 youth arrested in the north

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

West Belfast supports Inaki de Juana against extradition

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

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

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

Basque Info 17 and 24/03/10

Basque Info 17 and 24/03/10

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

French policeman killed in a shooting with ETA members

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

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

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

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

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

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


Nationalist vote divided in the north

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

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

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


New pro-independence youth organization launched

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


Prisoners in hunger strike

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

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

Basques in extradition danger.

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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Basque Info 10/03/09

Basque Info 10/03/09

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


Spanish Court sentences Arnaldo Otegi to two years in jail

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Spain launches international criminalization campaign

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

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

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

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

Thousands call for pro-independence unity

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

No justice for Basques

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

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

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

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

Basque Info 3/03/10

Basque Info 3/03/10

New pro-independence movement launched

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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




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


Repression continues with more arrests and torture reports

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

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

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

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

Election campaign starts in the north

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

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

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

Basque Info 27/01/10

Basque Info 27/01/10

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

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

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

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

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

More details are expected to be released in coming days.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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




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

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

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

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

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

- Strong criticism of the Spanish State

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

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

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

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

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

- Many initiatives of support

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

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