Basque Info 3/11/10

Basque Info podcast 3/11/10 (audio) http://www.archive.org/details/Bi4ww3.11.10

Basque Info news bulletin 3/11/10

• Basque Pro-Independence Left working to create a new political party
• Growing popular response against torture
• Political prisoners on hunger strike

Basque Pro-Independence Left working to create a new political party

Basque Pro-Independence Left representative Txelui Moreno confirmed on Wednesday that he and his political allies were working to become "legal" by creating a new party with the aim of "presenting new statutes in Madrid", though they have so far declined to announce a deadline for doing so.

In an interview last week, Moreno repeated his previous-expressed belief that the internal debate carried out at the beginning of the year by the Pro-Independence Left "was not subject to short-term questions which elections can be" but that the elections were nevertheless a reality.

Regarding the reorganization of the Basque Left, Moreno said he believes "it is going well, slowly maybe for some, quickly, possibly, for others, but I believe it is moving forward and that is the most important thing at this stage.

"That is all I can say at this stage. We are working so that the deadlines can be met, so that the Pro-Independence Left can enter the next elections in May 2011," he concluded.

The Pro-Independence Left party Batasuna was banned by the Spanish authorities in 2002 and most of its leaders have been or are currently in jail.

That’s the case of Arnaldo Otegi who along another two will be judged this month accused of “glorifying terrorism” when the Pro-Independence Left launched a peace proposal exactly six years ago. That proposal would later become the basis for the failed negotiation process of 2005-2007.

Growing popular response against torture

20,000 people filled the streets of Donostia/San Sebastian last Saturday to denounce the use of torture by the Spanish police forces against Basque pro-independence activists.

It was the largest demonstration against torture in many, many years but it was equally important in terms of the diverse political background of the participants.

There is no doubt that the latest developments in the democratic process in the Basque Country; the latest torture reports by the youth arrested; and the important trial held last week in the city contributed to the success of the demonstration.

Also last Wednesday protests against the arrests and torture of youth activists took place in the four provincial capitals of the southern Basque Country. These were very important as they had been called by a broad spectrum of organizations who signed the Gernika Agreement for human, civil and political rights. One of the arrested youth had to be taken to hospital after being badly tortured. Other youth reported being suffocated with plastic bags, being beaten and threatened continiously.

Many other protests against torture took place across the Basque Country during the week.

Meantime the trial against the 15 Spanish policemen who tortured two ETA militants almost three years ago came to an end. Their alibis were clearly exposed as lies by the state and private prosecution, the doctors and other witnesses.

The United Nations forced the Spanish authorities to set up the so called ‘Mechanism of Prevention of Torture’ last year and it has been managed by the Spanish Ombudsman’s office. But despite all the reported torture cases the Ombudsman continue to state that they haven’t found any evidence of torture after 200 visits to jails this year.

Political prisoners on hunger strike

Once again Basque political prisoners had to embark on a hunger strike to defend their basic rights. On this occasion the protest occurred in the French jail of Meaux after one of the prisoners was denied visitation of his newly born daughter. He has also been denied his partner’s visits as a punishment for having sexual relations in jail, something which is forbidden in France. Three other comrades also took part in the hunger strike which began on the 14th of October.

At the same time this very same prisoner’s brother was arrested in the recent police operation against the youth movement. Last week he was placed in solitary confinement after refusing to share his cell with a non-political inmate.

A former political prisoner has been sentenced to three years in jail accused of carrying tickets for a prisoners’ fundraising raffle while driving the prize, a caravan. This is a very popular national draw that has been going on for many years. Hundreds of people are involved in the selling of the tickets. This same former prisoner publicly denounced last year he had been kidnapped and beaten by undercover policemen.

Around 5,000 people took part in the weekly vigils held locally across the Basque Country to support the Basque political prisoners’s rights last Friday.