 |
Basque Info 09/XII/02
Submitted by admin on Az, 2009/12/02 - 21:12
20,000 people support the youth movement.
New commitment to support the Basque prisoners’ demands.
Broad support for indicted councillors.
Spanish policeman fakes ETA attack.
www.irishbasquecommittees.blogspot.com
Read here the bulletin:
-20,000 people support the youth movement.
In the early hours of Tuesday November 24, 35 Basque pro-independence youth activists were arrested by 950 Spanish policemen in the largest police operation in decades. More than 100 premises were searched and seven more young weren’t in their homes at the time of the raids.
All of them were accused of being members of the leadership of Segi, the banned pro-independence and socialist youth organisation. Similar operations happened in 2001 and 2002 against the alleged leaderships of the youth movement and another 16 operations were carried out over the past two years against local groups of Segi. Hundreds of young people have been arrested, many tortured and most of them imprisoned for solely political work.
Protests were organised across the Basque Country during the week including school strikes. There were also protests in Ireland (Belfast, Dublin, Omagh, Lurgan, Strabane, Dungannon and Limerick).
The largest protest took place last Saturday in Bilbao with 20,430 people in attendance according to the Basque newspaper Gara. The rally was organised by the relatives of those arrested under the slogan “All projects, all rights” and it was supported by many youth groups and four Basque pro-independence parties.
Dozens of young people took to the stage at the end of the march to highlight the fact that all these police operations have been proved to be unable to destroy the Basque youth movement. They also stressed their determination to continue and make the youth movement even broader. In fact, those who took to the stage were taking part along hundreds more in a national weekend of events and discussions in Zestoa. This was the culmination of months of debates at the local level among different youth groups with the objective of organising a broad front against the capitalist system and in favour of a democratic process in the Basque Country. The arrests obviously come at a very important time for both the youth movement and the Basque Country and are aimed at preventing emerging new political initiatives.
31 out of the 35 youth activists arrested were sent to prison after five days incommunicado. When they were able to see their lawyers in jail most of them reported torture and sexual abuse, mainly against girls. They were beaten on their testicles, forced to do physical exercise, suffocated with plastic bags, deprived of sleep, insulted, humiliated, even threatened with guns at their heads and girls were stripped while being touched and kissed by hooded policemen. There were even rape simulations.
With these last arrests the number of Basque political prisoners is at its highest level in 35 years with 762.
-New commitment to support the Basque prisoners’ demands.
Last week Etxerat, the Basque political prisoners’ relatives association, organised a three-day conference to analyse the situation in the prisons. Many trade unions and social organisations took part in the discussions and workshops.
Among other issues they talked about the new measures against the prisoners such as prolonging their sentences and making what are, in effect, life sentences and the control measures they’ll be subjected to once they are released as well as the new search conditions for relatives during visits.
On the last day all the organisations present at the conference decided to sign up to a document which will be the basis to reorganise a movement in favour of the Basque political prisoners. As a first commitment all of them supported the national demonstration called by Etxerat on the 2nd of January.
Another commitment taken by all present was to strengthen the Friday vigils. In fact, thousands of people took part last Friday in around 100 towns in picket lines to support the Basque political prisoners’ rights.
-Broad support for indicted councillors.
22 mayors and councillors will be tried in the near future (the date is still unknown) by the Spanish National Court for their work in Udalbiltza, the Basque elected representatives national institution. It was created in 1998 with the objective of the national building of the Basque Country overcoming partition.
The Spanish authorities criminalised their institutional and democratic work and accused them of terrorism.
At a press conference last week dozens of councillors announced they have collected 2,000 signatures of other councillors from different political parties in favour of the Basques’ right to organise their own institutions and against the trial. These signatures will be sent to the United Nations.
Another political trial it’s about to start. On the 14th of December 10 members of the editorial team of Egunkaria will face trial in Madrid’s Spanish National Court. Egunkaria was closed down by the Spanish authorities in 2003 and it was the only Basque language newspaper in the world. The indicted are accused of terrorism and face sentences up to 17 years in jail.
(watch video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISXil1X9Kws )
-International support for Pro-Independence Left proposals.
Two weeks ago the Basque Pro-Independence Left launched a declaration where they expressed their commitment to develop a democratic process in the Basque Country based exclusively on political and peaceful strategies.
International support came last week from the Gernika Network formed by elected representatives from Europe and the Americas and also from the left-wing German party Die Linke.
-Spanish policeman fakes ETA attack.
A Spanish Guardia Civil was taken to hospital on Sunday morning after shooting himself in one arm. He was out of control for 45 minutes in the nationalist village of Leitza. The pro-Spanish parties and media quickly condemned the alleged ETA attack but soon the news disappeared when the facts behind it emerged.
A demonstration has been called by the local council to protest against the criminalisation suffered by the village and to demand the occupation forces leave Leitza.
