Batasuna's national executive's statement on Arnaldo Otegi's imprisonment (menber of the leadership)

BATASUNA: "The compromise of all the political parties, and not only Batasuna, is needed for the democratic development of a political process in Euskal Herria".


The decition to imprison Arnaldo, the millionary bails as well as the arrests carried out by the Ertzantza during last days (Basque autonomous police) are very worrying events that do not help creating the necessary democratic conditions to start a democratic process.


Last week, BATASUNA's national executive gathered in order to announce the positivity of ETA's permanent cease-fire and summoned all the political and social agents to begin a democratic process based on respecting the civil and political rights of all the Basue citizens.


Never the less, and within a week, the national executive of BATASUNA states that the Basque pro-independence left is the only political agent who has strongly compromised in its favour and that the only "verifications" are the police and juditial raids against the Basaue citizens are still a daily issue.


In the Basque Country the democratic conditions do not exist. The civil and political rights of thousands of people are still not taken into account. In the last seven days, Juan Mary Olano, Juan Jose Petrikorena, Koldo Danborenea and Arnaldo Otegi have been imprisoned, Rafa Diez and Pernando Barrena, have had to pay millionar bails to be freed.




Therefore Batasuna declares,


A democratic process can not be carried out if the conditions are not democratic themselves.

This is not an attack against the Basque left pro-independence movement but against all the Basque citizens and the resolution process.

The PSOE with PNV's help is stopping the development of the process maintaining the represive policies.

The represive and juditial methods against the Basque population are a huge obstacle to the development of the democratic process.

A compromise between all the political forces is necessary for the real development of this process.


BATASUNA calls the Basque population to attend the National march

in favour of a democratic process this 1st of April in Bilbao.


Batasuna also calls the international community to support a democratic framework that will help the development of a democratic resolution process for the Basque Country.

National Executive of Batasuna

30th April 2006