NIEUWSOVERZICHT

WEEKLY UPDATE BASQUE INFORMATION CENTRE, WEEK 24, 6 until 13 July

According to a poll from the generally very reliable polling- bureau Euskobarómetro 65% of the Basque people are, because of the outlawing of the Basque political party Batasuna, not at all satisfied with the functioning of democracy. The outlawing is also seen as a big blow for the Basque Institutes. Three-quarter of the Basques found the closing of the Basque Daily Egunkaria in February this year a big mistake of the Spanish authorities and a severe attack at the freedom of speech. Around 61% of the Basques stood, according to the polls, behind the objectives of ETA (socialism and independence), but didn’t want to reach that by the ways ETA wants.
At the 5th of July various writers, journalists, artists and lawyers present a manifest in which the financial strangle in which the left Basque Daily GARA is being hold by the Spanish justice- department, is condemned. In the manifest further initiatives for the benefit of GARA are announced.
In Bedia explodes at he 6th of July a car bomb in the garage of the Transportcompany ‘Azkar’. An anonymous caller warned the fire-brigade, the explosion caused severe damage.
At the 6th of July the world wide famous San Fermin-fests start in Iruñea. At the beginning of the festivities Basque youth with Ikkurina’s (the Basque flag) are attacked by the local police.
In Madrid the public prosecutor Enrique Molina asks the Audiencia Nacional at the 7th of July to reopen the case ‘18/98’ and prosecute the accused. For a book in English about the case ‘18/98’ check here. Around the 200 Basques are arrested until now in the 9 police- operations, ordered by Garzón, against the left independents movement. Garzón wants to prove that “ETA doesn’t only exist out of commando’s”. Until now 61 Basques man and woman are accused.
At the 7th of July Dutch justice-minister Donner approves the extradition to the Spanish authorities of Juanra, the Catalan political prisoner. In four pages it becomes clear that Donner takes over the decision of the High Court, except for the part where is asked to not put Juanra in anti-terror detention. Extradition without conditions it is. Juanra appealed to another court against this decision. More info about this verdict www.freejuanra.org/en/07-07-03.html
In June the director of the Tour de France sent a letter to the Basque political party Batasuna and to the Basque Language Institute EHE with the permission that the Basque language could be present on stage at the finish of the Tour in Baiona the 23rd of this month. Under heavy Spanish pressure director LeBlanc had to withdraw his promise at the 8th of July, reason given “that an uprising broke out in Spain” and that they didn’t want to have anything to do “with a, on Spanish soil, banned terrorist organisation”. Why he broke the promise to EHE was never explained. LeBlanc wanted maybe to revise his withdrawal, if the uprising was over, but it didn’t, Madrid put on every means. The Spanish ambassador in Paris interfered and also the EP-commission of Culture and Sport approved that LeBlanc was held to his withdrawal. The Tour de France board then decided to commemorate “the victims of terrorism”.
At the 8th of July a giant Statue of Franco at the central square of Ponteareas in Galicia was removed after 25 years. The statue was decorated with several plaquettes honouring allegiance, family and work.
At the 10th of July Xabier Arzalluz, chairman of the Basque governing party EAJ-PNV, files a complaint against judge Maria Concepcion Marco, who suspects judges in the Basque Country of ‘nationalist sympathy’s’. In a writing during a seminar, with the title “Basque Country: Judges ‘truly’ for democracy”, she says among other things that the Basque Country needs “reliable judges”. The seminar was organised by the organisation FAES, of which Prime Minister Aznar is the chairman.
At Schiphol Airport the Basque Alexander Casas Akarregi is arrested at the 10th of July. He travelled on a false document and was heading for Venezuela. The Spanish authorities put out an international arrest warrant against him; Casas is accused of hiring the car in which at the 23rd of September 2002 in Bilbao the two Basque Odai Gallagara and Egoiz Gurruchaga died when the bomb in their car (probably to be used for an attack of ETA) exploded too early. Casas is put in extradition detention for 20 days in the prison of Haarlem. In that 20 days the Spanish authorities have to sent the official extradition request to the Dutch ministry of justice.
Baltasar Garzón asks the Spanish High Court at the 11th of July to start the trial against 27 youngsters in the ‘Jarrai-Haika’-case. The High Court is actually still waiting for the results of a handwriting investigation, but approved the starting of the trial, because “the outcome of this investigation won’t influence the result of the trial”. The day before, Garzón closed the two years ago started investigation, just after Molina reopened the ‘18/98’- case, where this trial is also part of. The outlawing of the left Basque youth organisation Jarrai and her successor Haika was started by Garzón after a press-conference at the 6th of March 2001, when Haika-member Asier Tapia Zulaika called for a ‘day of struggle’ because of the arrest of some Haika-members. Haika is held accountable by Garzón for the damage caused by the riots and actions that took place afterwards.
The Spanish Prime Minister Aznar meets at the 12th of July, travelling in the United States, protests of human right-activists in San Antonio, Texas. In a press statement they call on the US- government to “immediately expel Aznar as an ‘unwelcome alien’, for his crimes against humanity and for being responsible for the use of torture of political prisoners”. (…) “Our statement to the Spanish government is that we shall continue to be the voice of the voiceless who sit alone in Aznar’s dark prison cells.” They present some facts in the press-statement, among others this one: “90% of the Basque political prisoners are condemned because of statements given under torture.” “Can the Spanish State keep calling itself a democracy, when she continues this practice? Answer: NO!”, so ends the statement.

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WEEKLY UPDATE BASQUE INFORMATION CENTRE, WEEK 24, 6 until 13 July
According to a poll from the generally very reliable polling- bureau Euskobarómetro 65% of the Basque people are, because of the outlawing of the Basque political party Batasuna, not at all satisfied with the functioning of democracy. The outlawing is also seen as a big blow for the Basque Institutes. Three-quarter of the Basques found the closing of the Basque Daily Egunkaria in February this year a big mistake of the Spanish authorities and a severe attack at the freedom of speech. Around 61% of the Basques stood, according to the polls, behind the objectives of ETA (socialism and independence), but didn’t want to reach that by the ways ETA wants. At the 5th of July various writers, journalists, artists and lawyers present a manifest in which the financial strangle in which the left Basque Daily GARA is being hold by the Spanish justice- department, is condemned. In the manifest further initiatives for the benefit of GARA are announced. In Bedia explodes at he 6th of July a car bomb in the garage of the Transportcompany ‘Azkar’. An anonymous caller warned the fire-brigade, the explosion caused severe damage. At the 6th of July the world wide famous San Fermin-fests start in Iruñea. At the beginning of the festivities Basque youth with Ikkurina’s (the Basque flag) are attacked by the local police. In Madrid the public prosecutor Enrique Molina asks the Audiencia Nacional at the 7th of July to reopen the case ‘18/98’ and prosecute the accused. For a book in English about the case ‘18/98’ check here. Around the 200 Basques are arrested until now in the 9 police- operations, ordered by Garzón, against the left independents movement. Garzón wants to prove that “ETA doesn’t only exist out of commando’s”. Until now 61 Basques man and woman are accused. At the 7th of July Dutch justice-minister Donner approves the extradition to the Spanish authorities of Juanra, the Catalan political prisoner. In four pages it becomes clear that Donner takes over the decision of the High Court, except for the part where is asked to not put Juanra in anti-terror detention. Extradition without conditions it is. Juanra appealed to another court against this decision. More info about this verdict www.freejuanra.org/en/07-07-03.html In June the director of the Tour de France sent a letter to the Basque political party Batasuna and to the Basque Language Institute EHE with the permission that the Basque language could be present on stage at the finish of the Tour in Baiona the 23rd of this month. Under heavy Spanish pressure director LeBlanc had to withdraw his promise at the 8th of July, reason given “that an uprising broke out in Spain” and that they didn’t want to have anything to do “with a, on Spanish soil, banned terrorist organisation”. Why he broke the promise to EHE was never explained. LeBlanc wanted maybe to revise his withdrawal, if the uprising was over, but it didn’t, Madrid put on every means. The Spanish ambassador in Paris interfered and also the EP-commission of Culture and Sport approved that LeBlanc was held to his withdrawal. The Tour de France board then decided to commemorate “the victims of terrorism”. At the 8th of July a giant Statue of Franco at the central square of Ponteareas in Galicia was removed after 25 years. The statue was decorated with several plaquettes honouring allegiance, family and work. At the 10th of July Xabier Arzalluz, chairman of the Basque governing party EAJ-PNV, files a complaint against judge Maria Concepcion Marco, who suspects judges in the Basque Country of ‘nationalist sympathy’s’. In a writing during a seminar, with the title “Basque Country: Judges ‘truly’ for democracy”, she says among other things that the Basque Country needs “reliable judges”. The seminar was organised by the organisation FAES, of which Prime Minister Aznar is the chairman. At Schiphol Airport the Basque Alexander Casas Akarregi is arrested at the 10th of July. He travelled on a false document and was heading for Venezuela. The Spanish authorities put out an international arrest warrant against him; Casas is accused of hiring the car in which at the 23rd of September 2002 in Bilbao the two Basque Odai Gallagara and Egoiz Gurruchaga died when the bomb in their car (probably to be used for an attack of ETA) exploded too early. Casas is put in extradition detention for 20 days in the prison of Haarlem. In that 20 days the Spanish authorities have to sent the official extradition request to the Dutch ministry of justice. Baltasar Garzón asks the Spanish High Court at the 11th of July to start the trial against 27 youngsters in the ‘Jarrai-Haika’-case. The High Court is actually still waiting for the results of a handwriting investigation, but approved the starting of the trial, because “the outcome of this investigation won’t influence the result of the trial”. The day before, Garzón closed the two years ago started investigation, just after Molina reopened the ‘18/98’- case, where this trial is also part of. The outlawing of the left Basque youth organisation Jarrai and her successor Haika was started by Garzón after a press-conference at the 6th of March 2001, when Haika-member Asier Tapia Zulaika called for a ‘day of struggle’ because of the arrest of some Haika-members. Haika is held accountable by Garzón for the damage caused by the riots and actions that took place afterwards. The Spanish Prime Minister Aznar meets at the 12th of July, travelling in the United States, protests of human right-activists in San Antonio, Texas. In a press statement they call on the US- government to “immediately expel Aznar as an ‘unwelcome alien’, for his crimes against humanity and for being responsible for the use of torture of political prisoners”. (…) “Our statement to the Spanish government is that we shall continue to be the voice of the voiceless who sit alone in Aznar’s dark prison cells.” They present some facts in the press-statement, among others this one: “90% of the Basque political prisoners are condemned because of statements given under torture.” “Can the Spanish State keep calling itself a democracy, when she continues this practice? Answer: NO!”, so ends the statement.
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