Iņigo was an active militant in the Basque student movement as well as a member of a Herri Batasuna committee (A Basque pro-independence party) in his neighbourhood. He has always shone for his political and social work in the public and legal fields.

Beginning in February 1996 beginning when he saw himself involved, on political and media levels, in different unfounded accusations of participating in certain incidents and of public disorder, which constituted crimes. These were derived from the political situation that exists in the Basque country. Iņigo also suffered mistreatment when he was arrested for the first time by the police, who “threatened to split my head open if I didn’t state what they wanted me to, all the while they punched me in the shoulders, in the chest, the ears and pulled my hair and threw me against the wall and to the floor.”

In these circumstances of persecution, and due to the fierce police pressure against him, and the criminalisation of the political and social work that he was carrying out, Iņigo Makazaga was forced to leave his city and seek refuge outside the Spanish State.

Thus, after three years had passed in an irregular situation in London, he is detained in Dover. Iņigo will have to face a demand for extradition that is being carried by the Spanish Council of Ministers against him membership of an armed organisation. However, the Spanish media have already condemned Iņigo, violating his right to be presumed innocent.

We can appreciate that, the case of Iņigo Makazaga is more a case of political-media convenience than of achieving justice. Iņigo is one more of thousands of Basques that due to their political actions have had to seek refuge in different parts of the world, as a consequence of the repression and the conflict situation in the Basque Country. For this reason we want to demonstrate our preoccupation for the lack of guarantees for the rights of Iņigo, and the ultimate risk that he runs if he is sent to the Spanish State. For this reason we consider it hugely important to oppose the extradition against him.