Basque Info

Submitted by admin on Az, 2011/07/06 - 10:35

Bateragune

Last week different sessions of the trial named Bateragune took place in the Spanish National Court. Declarations by defendants were followed by witnesses from both sides: in one hand, the police witnesses who were chasing the defendants and intervened their communications; in the other, representatives of political parties as EA and of the largest trade union ELA, presented their testimonies in front of the court.

Rufi Etxeberria, well-known representative of the Abertzale left and witness of the defense, explained that all the accused had been key people for this debate to take place and then identified the debate as THE debate for it has been the first time that the grassroots of the Abertzale Left have faced ETA. Adolfo Muñoz spokesperson of the largest union in the Basque Country ELA, highlighted the courage of the Abertzale left to promote this debate considering at that moment the Abertzale left was still illegal.

In the turn for the police witnesses who were chassing the defendants and intervining their communications. There has been few surprises as most of the reports spoke of public political events and the police officers who listened to the conversations have admitted that they don’t even speak fluent Basque.
One of the most relevant moments took place with the declaration of Arnaldo Otegi.

Among others he declared, about the hypothesis of ETA coming back after the creation of the pro- independence accumulation of forces saying that “It will be more than a political suicide, we will be also burning down a tool that has proven to be vital” and he explained further “We may have lots of defects, but also a virtue, our revolutionary honesty, we wouldn’t take our people to such a situation”. He ended with a proclamation that could be considered a resume of the different sessions of the trial: "If to commit to a peaceful and democratic strategy is a crime, then we are guilty".

International Solidarity

Defendants have received many solidarity messages from the International Community. From Argentina 50 personalities endorsed a declaration in solidarity with the defendants, including the awarded with the Peace Nobel Adolfo Perez Esquivel. The South African Communist Party (SACP) also published a letter reclaiming a resolutive pathway for the conflict through dialogue.

From different institutions and parliaments we have received many letters, including those of Jens Holm, former MEP, and MP in the Swedish Parliament, Elisabeth Naucler MP in the

Finish Parliament, Ingrid Baltzersen MP in Oslo local parliament, Joseph Zisyadis MP in the Swiss Parliament, Ulla Jelpke MP in the German Bundestag, Pádraig MacLochlainn MP in the Irish Parliament, Francois Alfonsi MEP, Eva-Britt Svensson MEP, Bairbre de Brun MEP an others.

Gerry Adams, Eric Defoort (President of the European Free Alliance), Joan Gaia spokesperson of ERC in the Balearic Islands, Alfonso Cuesta and others have also demanded the release of the accused.

Catalonian personalities from the politic, education, sports, journalism and culture sectors have endorsed a manifest against this “political court-case”. Endorsers of the declaration include former vice-president of the Catalonian Government Josep-Luis Carod Rovira, jurist August Gil Matamala, Professional Football player Oleguer Presas, singer Feliu Ventura or ICV MP Joan Boada. The list of endorsers includes more that 80 signatories.

Solidarity Committees with the Basque Country from all over the world have also released a joint declaration denouncing the ongoing court-case against Abertzale Left representatives, and are planning protests in many different cities to take place following days.

Demonstration in Donostia asking for an end to political trials

Saturday 2nd July, 12,000 people marched on the streets of Donostia (San Sebastian), in solidarity with those accused in the “Bateragune” trial, and demanding an end to “political trials” and opportunities for resolution proposals.

Representatives of various political parties, including members of the Abertzale Left, Bildu, EA, Alternatiba, Izquierda Unida and others, Trade

Union representatives, and many other well known and respected faces of cultural, academic, sports and other sectors marched together.

Txelui Moreno Spokes person of the Abertzale Left as well as one of the accused in the “bateragune” case expressed its “gratitude towards the solidarity that we are receiving” these days and asked society to keep on with protests, because in his opinion that is the only way to make “situation evolve”.

News in Brief:

French police arrested Oier Ardanaz, a suspected ETA member, in France, on the 30th of June.

Dispersal policy against Basque Prisoners has provoked two accidents of prisoner relatives when travelling to prisons.

Aurore Martin has taken part and has received the support of the well known music festival Euskal Herria Zuzenean organised this weekend in Heleta.

Donostia has been elected by the European Union as the European Capital of Culture for 2016 edition. When making final decision EU has taken into account the new scenario that is being open in the Basque Country.