NIEUWSOVERZICHT

OVERVIEW EVENTS BASQUE COUNTRY NR 31, period the 9th of October until the 27th of October

At the beginning of October the Spanish government bans a TV-broadcast about the Basque Country at the Portuguese private channel ‘SIC’. In the broadcast there would be 2 members of ETA being interviewed. Several hours before going on air, the journalist and writer Rui Pereira was called by one of his bosses telling him the broadcast was cancelled. The Portuguese daily ’24 horas’ printed then the interview over two pages, including a history of the political conflict in the Basque Country and a Swiss magazine printed the interview also. Some Italian radio-stations would air it also. The interview was interesting because it opens perspectives for a cease-fire.
In Lazkao participate, despite the pouring rain, more than 70.000 people in the 23rd edition of ‘Kilometroak’, a walk for the benefit of the Ikastola’s, the Basque schools.
In Madrid the youngsters Andoni Zengotitabengoa, Txomin Lesende and Arkaitz Bellón are convicted at the Audiencia Nacional to 13 years and 3 months in prison because of their involvement in actions for the Kale Borroka (organised street actions by youngsters) and the indictment was “support for the armed organisation ETA”.
From the at the 8th of October arrested Basques, 9 were released after 3 days, 4 without bail or indictment, 5 with a bail of 30.000 Euro each. During the 38 house searches nothing was found to support the accusation of “involvement by recruiting members for ETA and the gathering of information for their activities and doing infrastructure work”. Judge Baltasar Garzón says that writing and receiving letters of Basque political prisoners “indicates to a membership of the armed organisation ETA”. After the lawyers saw the documents it became clear that against no one was actually a concrete accusation. Twenty Basques remain locked in, after being held in incommunicado-detention; several of them complained about mistreatment. Garzón ordered the arrest of Alain Berasategi and he said that Carlos Moises Martin, 1 of the 20 prisoners, was involved in an attach with a machine gun at a police station in Donostia and the placing of a bomb at the courts of Tolosa and Azpeitia in September 1996.
In Madrid the Audiencia Nacional convicts the Basque political prisoner Ibon Muñoa at the 10th of October to 33 years in prison. The accusation is “some support” and “silencing a murder”. Muñoa is said to be involved in the kidnapping of the councillor Miguel Angel Blanco of the Partido Popular in 1997; in the verdict it is however not clear what this support was.
At the weekly manifestations on Friday for the rights of the Basque political prisoners around 8.000 people participate throughout the Basque Country.
Theo van Boven, the UN’s special reporter against torture, speaks of his amazement at a press conference in Madrid at the 10th of October that there are still no, despite demands of several organisations and Amnesty International, camera’s installed in the interrogation rooms of the Spanish and Basque police. Van Boven also complains about the incommunicado-detention of suspects and he stated also “the denial of the existing of torture hinders the solution of the problem”. Next year March the official report will be published.
Thousands of people demonstrate at the 11th of October in Baiona, Northern Basque Country (the part which is in France), at the initiative of the platform Batera (‘Together’ in Basque) for the recognition of a Basque province in France, recognition of the Basque language, an own university and an own department of agro- culture. This demonstration is also the start of a public debate, which will run to the 13th of December, about an initiative to solve the political conflict in the Basque Country. Batera, a platform of numerous organisations from the political and cultural sphere, nationalists and non-nationalists, labour people etc from the Basque Provinces Lapurdi, Behe Naffaroa and Zuberoa (in France), wants to present an official proposal at Aberi Eguna in 2004. If Paris won’t react positively, Batera will suspend all cooperation in the common institutions, raise parallel institutions, organise referenda and occupy government buildings to do their projects.
At the 12th of October 12 lorries burn down at a parking place at Irun. The action is claimed by ETA and is said to have been meant to force companies to give money to ETA.
In Madrid judge Garzón decides at the 13th of October to prosecute 21 members of the outlawed Basque youth organisation SEGI on the grounds of “membership of an armed organisation”. The 21 were arrested in March 2002; they are Xabier Abasolo, Gorka Betolaza, Ainhoa Casares, Ainara and Iker Frade, Xabier Gogenola, Unai González, Asier Iñigo, David Lizarralde, Arkaitz Martinez de Albéniz, Asier Otxea de Retana, Aitziber Pérez, Oier Oa, Jon Markel Ormazabal, Eneko Aizpuru, Aitor Elizaran, Garikoitz Mugika, Zigor Ruiz, Haritza Galarraga, Ives Matxikote and Amaia Rekarte. Their bail is set altogether at 1 million Euro.
The Spanish Public Prosecutor asked for extension of the detention of the two years ago arrested members of the prisoners support organisation Gestoras Pro Amnistia. They are Jagoba Terrones, Julen Larrinaga, Juan Antonio Madariaga, Jon Beaskoa, Maite Diaz de Heredia, Iker Zubia, Josu Beaumont, Julen Zelarain, Aratz Estonba, Ainhoa Irastorza and Gorka Zulaika. At the end of October 2001 Gestoras Pro Amnistia was banned with a decree of judge Garzón.
At a gathering in the Argentinian city of Rosario at the Basque Cultural Centre “the liberation of the 7 provinces of the Basque Country and the return of the Basque political prisoners to the Basque Country” is demanded and en passant Rosario is promoted to be the capital of the 8th province of the Basque Country, the capital of the Basque Diaspora. In Argentina live many Basques and 4 million people have a Basque surname.
At the 15th of October José Barroinuevo, former Minister of Internal Affairs in the PSOE-government of Felipe González, presents his new book, that must clear him of involvement in the ‘GAL-affairs’ and describes him as a victim of “political mechanisms”. The GAL, Grupos Antiterroristas de Liberación, murdered 23 Basques in the eighties and terrorised with the aim to force France to step up his policies to terminate the Basque independence movement. Barrionuevo, a former member of the Franqoist student union, used to be deputy major of Madrid before he started to reform the police as Minister of Internal Affairs. He gave high positions to former officers of the hated political police of Franco, the Brigada de Investigación Político-Social, and is put in prison at the 10th of September 1998 for involvement in the kidnapping of Segundo Marey in Hendaia at the 4th of December 1983. Marey was kidnapped by mistake and released 10 days after; this was the first action officially claimed by the GAL. High members of the PSOE were present at the launch of Barrionuevo’s book (he was granted partial amnesty by the government of Aznar) and greeted the statements of Barrionuevo that “they were victim of a biased juridical system and were convicted without evidence”. Enrique Rodríguez Galindo and Angel Vaquero are still in jail for the kidnapping and murder on the Basque youngsters Joxean Lasa and Joxi Zabala at the 16th of October 1983 (their remains were only identified in 1995); Rafael Vera, the second man at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, got amnesty in the same case as Barrionuevo. The PSOE, who support the banning on Basque political organisations because of not condemning ETA- violence, demands from the PP that they condemn the terror of Franco, but refuses until this very day to show disapproval of the GAL-actions. Also the high responsible, probably high members of the PSOE, including González himself, are until now not investigated, let alone prosecuted.
At the 16th of October 200 officers of the Guardia Civil arrest 8 people, Mikel Azkune, Juan Mari Larrarte, Joxe Mari Sors, Mikel Arrizabalaga, Mikel Sorzabal, Javier Legarra, Amando Hernández and Angel Rámon Díez in Gipuzkoa and Naffaroa, all 8 involved in the promotion of the Basque language through the Basque Culture Park Martin Ugalde and the earlier this year closed Basque daily Egunkaria. The Spanish judge Juan del Olmo ordered also 13 searches of the houses and working places of the 8. The lawyer of Egunkaria, Enekoitz Etxeberria, points out that the raids are aimed at the companies that were not closed during the operation against Egunkaria and against the company Buruntzape S.L. The Spanish Minister of Internal Affairs Angel Acebes declared that the whole operation is related to an investigation “accountancy irregularities, the destination of subsidies and launder practises”. The Spanish media spoke of an amount of 15 million Euro of “unknown descent in a period of 5 years that was not registered at the local department of Finances”. The Minister of Finance of Gipuzkoa, Jose Joan Gonzalez, denies this report and claims that there are no irregularities. Earlier this year, with the closing of Egunkaria, the Spanish authorities tried to close the Basque publishing company Elkarlanean. Then the director of Elkarlanean declared at 3 Spanish courts that his books were available at any time and that he had nothing to hide. The arrested were taken to Madrid and placed in incommunicado-detention for 5 days. In the afternoon 500 people gathered at the entrance in protest and throughout the Basque society there are strong voices of disapproval about this police operation.
At Saturday the 18th of October 25.000 people demonstrate in Donostia against the attack at the Basque language and culture and for the release of the 8 arrested. For the first time the biggest Spanish union CCOO participated in the protests.
At the 20th of October the lawyer Enekoitz Etxeberria of Egunkaria and of the at the 16th of October arrested Amando Hernandez is arrested at the orders of judge Juan del Olmo and placed in incommunicado detention in the cells of the Spanish National High Court.
One day later all 9 are released temporarely, 4 of them (Mikel Arrizabalaga, Angel Diez, Enekoitz Etxeberria and Amando Hernandez) are still under suspicion, Mikel Azkune, Joanmari Larrarte and Xabier Legarra had to pay each 12.000 Euro bail and Joxi Mari Sors and Mikel Sorozabal each 30.000 Euro. Judge Del Olmo didn’t give the specific accusations; in general they were all accused of “an economic crime”. During their detention they were not tortured, but they were “constantly humiliated” and threatened. At the 22nd there was a big welcome party at the Martin Ugalde Park, and there was extra attention for the since the operation against Egunkaria still detained Xabier Oleaga, Iñaki Uria and Xabier Alegria.
At the 22nd of October judge Teresa Palacios releases in Madrid the Basques Juan Joxe Petrikorena, Iñigo Balda and Ainhoa Iñigo on a bail of 30.000 Euro each. The 3 were arrested at the 16th of September at orders of judge Baltasar Garzón at suspicion of “cooperating with the armed organisation ETA”, because they organised a demonstration at he 10th of August in Donostia with the slogan ‘Apartheid ez. Autodeterminazioa’. Judge Palacios reduced the accusation to “glorifying terrorism” and “insulting the Spanish flag” and released them.
At The 23rd of October Dutch authorities extradite Juanra to Spain. That night the Spanish consulate in Amsterdam and some buildings of Spanish banks are damaged with stones and red paint. Juanra is locked in at the notorious prison Soto del Real in Madrid and was taken for judge Baltasar Garzón for a statement. At the 27th of October friends and supporters of Juanra demonstrate for the Catalan government building in Barcelona.
The Audiencia Nacional released the Basque political prisoner Fermin Sánchez after being extradited to Spain some months ago after spending 8 years in jail in France. The Spanish authorities tried to imprison Sánchez for a longer time on an old extradition order with the same accusation (for which he already spent time in France).
At the 25th of October the Basque government approves the ‘plan-Ibarretxe’ and now the Basque parliament has to discuss it; a vote over this is expected next year. The ‘plan-Ibarretxe’ foresees in a new form of co-existence with Spain (free association and a referendum about sovereignty) and has to replace the Statutes of Gernika, of which the full tools were not handed over by the Spanish authorities. The same authorities reacted in full anger and announced to block the plan politically as well as juridical.
The Spanish ambassador in England tried to prevent the showing or the Basque movie ‘La Pelota Vasca, La Piel Contra La Piedra’ from Julio Medem at the London Film Festival. That failed and now they withdrew their traditional subsidy to cover the costs of the Spanish participants.

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OVERVIEW EVENTS BASQUE COUNTRY NR 31, period the 9th of October until the 27th of October
At the beginning of October the Spanish government bans a TV-broadcast about the Basque Country at the Portuguese private channel ‘SIC’. In the broadcast there would be 2 members of ETA being interviewed. Several hours before going on air, the journalist and writer Rui Pereira was called by one of his bosses telling him the broadcast was cancelled. The Portuguese daily ’24 horas’ printed then the interview over two pages, including a history of the political conflict in the Basque Country and a Swiss magazine printed the interview also. Some Italian radio-stations would air it also. The interview was interesting because it opens perspectives for a cease-fire. In Lazkao participate, despite the pouring rain, more than 70.000 people in the 23rd edition of ‘Kilometroak’, a walk for the benefit of the Ikastola’s, the Basque schools. In Madrid the youngsters Andoni Zengotitabengoa, Txomin Lesende and Arkaitz Bellón are convicted at the Audiencia Nacional to 13 years and 3 months in prison because of their involvement in actions for the Kale Borroka (organised street actions by youngsters) and the indictment was “support for the armed organisation ETA”. From the at the 8th of October arrested Basques, 9 were released after 3 days, 4 without bail or indictment, 5 with a bail of 30.000 Euro each. During the 38 house searches nothing was found to support the accusation of “involvement by recruiting members for ETA and the gathering of information for their activities and doing infrastructure work”. Judge Baltasar Garzón says that writing and receiving letters of Basque political prisoners “indicates to a membership of the armed organisation ETA”. After the lawyers saw the documents it became clear that against no one was actually a concrete accusation. Twenty Basques remain locked in, after being held in incommunicado-detention; several of them complained about mistreatment. Garzón ordered the arrest of Alain Berasategi and he said that Carlos Moises Martin, 1 of the 20 prisoners, was involved in an attach with a machine gun at a police station in Donostia and the placing of a bomb at the courts of Tolosa and Azpeitia in September 1996. In Madrid the Audiencia Nacional convicts the Basque political prisoner Ibon Muñoa at the 10th of October to 33 years in prison. The accusation is “some support” and “silencing a murder”. Muñoa is said to be involved in the kidnapping of the councillor Miguel Angel Blanco of the Partido Popular in 1997; in the verdict it is however not clear what this support was. At the weekly manifestations on Friday for the rights of the Basque political prisoners around 8.000 people participate throughout the Basque Country. Theo van Boven, the UN’s special reporter against torture, speaks of his amazement at a press conference in Madrid at the 10th of October that there are still no, despite demands of several organisations and Amnesty International, camera’s installed in the interrogation rooms of the Spanish and Basque police. Van Boven also complains about the incommunicado-detention of suspects and he stated also “the denial of the existing of torture hinders the solution of the problem”. Next year March the official report will be published. Thousands of people demonstrate at the 11th of October in Baiona, Northern Basque Country (the part which is in France), at the initiative of the platform Batera (‘Together’ in Basque) for the recognition of a Basque province in France, recognition of the Basque language, an own university and an own department of agro- culture. This demonstration is also the start of a public debate, which will run to the 13th of December, about an initiative to solve the political conflict in the Basque Country. Batera, a platform of numerous organisations from the political and cultural sphere, nationalists and non-nationalists, labour people etc from the Basque Provinces Lapurdi, Behe Naffaroa and Zuberoa (in France), wants to present an official proposal at Aberi Eguna in 2004. If Paris won’t react positively, Batera will suspend all cooperation in the common institutions, raise parallel institutions, organise referenda and occupy government buildings to do their projects. At the 12th of October 12 lorries burn down at a parking place at Irun. The action is claimed by ETA and is said to have been meant to force companies to give money to ETA. In Madrid judge Garzón decides at the 13th of October to prosecute 21 members of the outlawed Basque youth organisation SEGI on the grounds of “membership of an armed organisation”. The 21 were arrested in March 2002; they are Xabier Abasolo, Gorka Betolaza, Ainhoa Casares, Ainara and Iker Frade, Xabier Gogenola, Unai González, Asier Iñigo, David Lizarralde, Arkaitz Martinez de Albéniz, Asier Otxea de Retana, Aitziber Pérez, Oier Oa, Jon Markel Ormazabal, Eneko Aizpuru, Aitor Elizaran, Garikoitz Mugika, Zigor Ruiz, Haritza Galarraga, Ives Matxikote and Amaia Rekarte. Their bail is set altogether at 1 million Euro. The Spanish Public Prosecutor asked for extension of the detention of the two years ago arrested members of the prisoners support organisation Gestoras Pro Amnistia. They are Jagoba Terrones, Julen Larrinaga, Juan Antonio Madariaga, Jon Beaskoa, Maite Diaz de Heredia, Iker Zubia, Josu Beaumont, Julen Zelarain, Aratz Estonba, Ainhoa Irastorza and Gorka Zulaika. At the end of October 2001 Gestoras Pro Amnistia was banned with a decree of judge Garzón. At a gathering in the Argentinian city of Rosario at the Basque Cultural Centre “the liberation of the 7 provinces of the Basque Country and the return of the Basque political prisoners to the Basque Country” is demanded and en passant Rosario is promoted to be the capital of the 8th province of the Basque Country, the capital of the Basque Diaspora. In Argentina live many Basques and 4 million people have a Basque surname. At the 15th of October José Barroinuevo, former Minister of Internal Affairs in the PSOE-government of Felipe González, presents his new book, that must clear him of involvement in the ‘GAL-affairs’ and describes him as a victim of “political mechanisms”. The GAL, Grupos Antiterroristas de Liberación, murdered 23 Basques in the eighties and terrorised with the aim to force France to step up his policies to terminate the Basque independence movement. Barrionuevo, a former member of the Franqoist student union, used to be deputy major of Madrid before he started to reform the police as Minister of Internal Affairs. He gave high positions to former officers of the hated political police of Franco, the Brigada de Investigación Político-Social, and is put in prison at the 10th of September 1998 for involvement in the kidnapping of Segundo Marey in Hendaia at the 4th of December 1983. Marey was kidnapped by mistake and released 10 days after; this was the first action officially claimed by the GAL. High members of the PSOE were present at the launch of Barrionuevo’s book (he was granted partial amnesty by the government of Aznar) and greeted the statements of Barrionuevo that “they were victim of a biased juridical system and were convicted without evidence”. Enrique Rodríguez Galindo and Angel Vaquero are still in jail for the kidnapping and murder on the Basque youngsters Joxean Lasa and Joxi Zabala at the 16th of October 1983 (their remains were only identified in 1995); Rafael Vera, the second man at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, got amnesty in the same case as Barrionuevo. The PSOE, who support the banning on Basque political organisations because of not condemning ETA- violence, demands from the PP that they condemn the terror of Franco, but refuses until this very day to show disapproval of the GAL-actions. Also the high responsible, probably high members of the PSOE, including González himself, are until now not investigated, let alone prosecuted. At the 16th of October 200 officers of the Guardia Civil arrest 8 people, Mikel Azkune, Juan Mari Larrarte, Joxe Mari Sors, Mikel Arrizabalaga, Mikel Sorzabal, Javier Legarra, Amando Hernández and Angel Rámon Díez in Gipuzkoa and Naffaroa, all 8 involved in the promotion of the Basque language through the Basque Culture Park Martin Ugalde and the earlier this year closed Basque daily Egunkaria. The Spanish judge Juan del Olmo ordered also 13 searches of the houses and working places of the 8. The lawyer of Egunkaria, Enekoitz Etxeberria, points out that the raids are aimed at the companies that were not closed during the operation against Egunkaria and against the company Buruntzape S.L. The Spanish Minister of Internal Affairs Angel Acebes declared that the whole operation is related to an investigation “accountancy irregularities, the destination of subsidies and launder practises”. The Spanish media spoke of an amount of 15 million Euro of “unknown descent in a period of 5 years that was not registered at the local department of Finances”. The Minister of Finance of Gipuzkoa, Jose Joan Gonzalez, denies this report and claims that there are no irregularities. Earlier this year, with the closing of Egunkaria, the Spanish authorities tried to close the Basque publishing company Elkarlanean. Then the director of Elkarlanean declared at 3 Spanish courts that his books were available at any time and that he had nothing to hide. The arrested were taken to Madrid and placed in incommunicado-detention for 5 days. In the afternoon 500 people gathered at the entrance in protest and throughout the Basque society there are strong voices of disapproval about this police operation. At Saturday the 18th of October 25.000 people demonstrate in Donostia against the attack at the Basque language and culture and for the release of the 8 arrested. For the first time the biggest Spanish union CCOO participated in the protests. At the 20th of October the lawyer Enekoitz Etxeberria of Egunkaria and of the at the 16th of October arrested Amando Hernandez is arrested at the orders of judge Juan del Olmo and placed in incommunicado detention in the cells of the Spanish National High Court. One day later all 9 are released temporarely, 4 of them (Mikel Arrizabalaga, Angel Diez, Enekoitz Etxeberria and Amando Hernandez) are still under suspicion, Mikel Azkune, Joanmari Larrarte and Xabier Legarra had to pay each 12.000 Euro bail and Joxi Mari Sors and Mikel Sorozabal each 30.000 Euro. Judge Del Olmo didn’t give the specific accusations; in general they were all accused of “an economic crime”. During their detention they were not tortured, but they were “constantly humiliated” and threatened. At the 22nd there was a big welcome party at the Martin Ugalde Park, and there was extra attention for the since the operation against Egunkaria still detained Xabier Oleaga, Iñaki Uria and Xabier Alegria. At the 22nd of October judge Teresa Palacios releases in Madrid the Basques Juan Joxe Petrikorena, Iñigo Balda and Ainhoa Iñigo on a bail of 30.000 Euro each. The 3 were arrested at the 16th of September at orders of judge Baltasar Garzón at suspicion of “cooperating with the armed organisation ETA”, because they organised a demonstration at he 10th of August in Donostia with the slogan ‘Apartheid ez. Autodeterminazioa’. Judge Palacios reduced the accusation to “glorifying terrorism” and “insulting the Spanish flag” and released them. At The 23rd of October Dutch authorities extradite Juanra to Spain. That night the Spanish consulate in Amsterdam and some buildings of Spanish banks are damaged with stones and red paint. Juanra is locked in at the notorious prison Soto del Real in Madrid and was taken for judge Baltasar Garzón for a statement. At the 27th of October friends and supporters of Juanra demonstrate for the Catalan government building in Barcelona. The Audiencia Nacional released the Basque political prisoner Fermin Sánchez after being extradited to Spain some months ago after spending 8 years in jail in France. The Spanish authorities tried to imprison Sánchez for a longer time on an old extradition order with the same accusation (for which he already spent time in France). At the 25th of October the Basque government approves the ‘plan-Ibarretxe’ and now the Basque parliament has to discuss it; a vote over this is expected next year. The ‘plan-Ibarretxe’ foresees in a new form of co-existence with Spain (free association and a referendum about sovereignty) and has to replace the Statutes of Gernika, of which the full tools were not handed over by the Spanish authorities. The same authorities reacted in full anger and announced to block the plan politically as well as juridical. The Spanish ambassador in England tried to prevent the showing or the Basque movie ‘La Pelota Vasca, La Piel Contra La Piedra’ from Julio Medem at the London Film Festival. That failed and now they withdrew their traditional subsidy to cover the costs of the Spanish participants.
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