Monthly digital BIC-Newsletter NR.1, period the 28th of April until the 6th of June 2004
Overview events Basque Country nr.5, period the 28th of April until the 6th of June 2004

Seen the (huge) quantity of, in our eyes, important information about the left independent movement in the Basque Country and the struggle for self-determination, we decided to replace the monthly update 'Overview events Basque Country' by a monthly digital BIC-Newsletter, where you can find the news that you think is interesting can find more easily, divided in categories. We hope you like it. Comments are welcome on baskinfo@xs4all.nl

1) Basque political prisoners
2) Reports from human rights organisations
3) The Basque diaspora
4) 'Plan-Ibarretxe'
5) News from the ranks of the Basque and Spanish governments
6) Voices from the press/New publications
7) Actions for the environment/Labour actions
8) Basque language ('Egunkaria'-case) and education
9) Banning of the Basque list for the EU-elections Herritarren Zerrenda (HZ)
10) Initiatives in the Basque Country for the solution of the conflict
11) Statements of ETA

  1. Basque political prisoners

    In the last week of April the 2 girlfriends of the 3 at the 16th of April in France arrested Basques are being released. It is not clear why they were arrested and released, possibly it was meant as pressure to let the 3 'talk', something that occurs often.

    The amount of car-accidents in relation to the long travel distances to family and friends in the Spanish prisons, is now in 2004 17, involving 53 people.

    The Spanish Audiencia Nacional formulated the charge against Alexander Akkaregi, the Basque youngster who was extradited on the 7th of January by the Dutch authorities to Spain; collaboration with ETA, which is the same as for what he was extradited and 6 years in jail. It is not clear when the trial will start.

    At the end of April the Basque political prisoner Rikardo Prieto is released after 21 years in jail. After his arrest on the 6th of May in 1983 he was in the prisons of Carabanchel, Alcala Meco, Herrera de la Mancha, Ocana I, Bonxe, Puerto II, Valdemoro and Alcolea in Cordoba.

    In the same period 3 Basques Oskar Goni, Txema Jurado and Lander Etxebarria of the self-organisation of councillors, Udalbiltza, are released against a bail of 30.000 euro each. At the 29th of April 2003 they were arrested, together with 11 other people, in a operation on the initiative of judge Garzon against Udalbiltza. Udalbiltza was since here beginning in 1999 branded by Madrid as 'an illegal, unconstitutional counterforce', and combated as such. At this moment Xabier Alegria, Joseba Garmendia, Karmele Urbistondo and Miriam Campos are still in jail.

    In Valencia the Basque political prisoners start at the 21st of April a hunger strike to end the isolation detention and the overall bad conditions in jail. Two of them, Gotzon Aranburu and Eduardo Perez de Anuzita, are in isolation.

    In the left-wing Basque newspaper GARA 3 recently released Basque political prisoners Gotzon Zabaleta, Xabier Arnaiz and Joxean Kortadi, who were respectively 17, 22 and 22 years in jail, about their time inside. They emphasize the importance of solidarity from people outside, with actions, demonstrations and visits, to pass such a long time.

    The Basque political prisoners Jon Gorrotxategi and Rufi Etxeberria are released at the 22nd of April on a bail of 30.000 euro each. They were arrested at the 29th of April 2002 in an operation against the left Basque independence movement at the initiative of judge Garzon and put in prison on the accusation of 'being part of the financial structure of the armed organisation ETA'. Various halls, shops and bars were closed. At the 5th of May also Jaione Intxaurraga, Idoia Arbelaitz and Patxi Bengoa are released on the same bail. From the 11 then arrested Joseba Garmendia and Juani Lizaso are still in prison.

    At the 23rd of April 700 people travel in 10 busses to the prisons of Bapaume and Algericas to demonstrate and wave at the Basque political prisoners there. In the rest of the Basque Country every Friday thousands of people protest against the dispersion of the prisoners.

    The bail of Inaki Uria, who was arrested in the Garzon-led operation against the Basque daily Egunkaria at the 20th of February 2003, is set on 600.000 euro, to hand over in cash. Uria responds astonished from jail: "This amount is twice as high as the starting capital of Egunkaria in 1990". There is no appeal possible against the bail. In this case, of in total 10 arrested journalists, also Xabier Alegria is still in jail, with a set bail on 50.000. But even if this is paid, Alegria remains in custody in connection with an investigation in his activities for Udalbiltza. Since 2000 Basque citizens have got a total of 4.734.000 euro of bail imposed from the Audiencia Nacional. At the 20th of May there was a protest manifestation in Donostia, organised by former workers of Egunkaria, to demand the release of Uria and Alegria. They were supported

    by representatives of the Basque daily Berria, the Basque political party Aralar (a split from Batasuna), Batasuna itself in the person of Europarlementarian Koldo Gorostiaga, the Basque newspaper GARA, the political party United Left IU and the last year banned political list AuB (List for Self determination) and the labour unions ELA, LAB, CCOO, ESK, EILAS, HIRU and EHNE.

    At the 4th of May Aitor Olaberria is imprisoned in the jail of Basauri in Bilbo, he was already inside from 1992-1997, but has to sit out the rest if his punishment. Three years ago 2 members of the Guardia Civil were convicted of torturing Olaberria, but released later.

    At the end of 2002 the Basque political refugee Sebas Etxainz was arrested in Venezuela and extradited to Spain in connection with participation in an attack on a military barrack of the Spanish police in Barakaldo in 1982. The case was closed then, but reopened in 1995. Now Etxainz is acquitted by the Spanish High Court of this attack because of it was too long ago, but remains in prison 'because of another case'.

    The Catalan political prisoner Juanra (www.freejuanra.org), at the 23rd of October extradited by the Dutch authorities to Spain, gets without a trial a jail sentence of 5 years by the public prosecutor. For this Juanra had to plea guilty, that is to say, he had to declare that he collaborated with ETA, without accusing anybody else that is. The first demand for his sentence was 9 years, which he probably would have got in an unfair trial at the military court Audiencia Nacional, the successor of Franco's Tribunal of Public Order.

    The prisonhelporganisation Etxerat can testify for the human rights commission in the Basque Autonomous Government about the consequences of the attacks of 11 March in Madrid for the Basque political prisoners. Despite repression and attacks are almost daily routine for the prisoners, the period between 11 and 14 March was extreme: 13 female prisoners were heavily beaten up, 25 prisoners attacked, 85 prisoners put from the Category B into the Category A (isolation detention), 54 prisoners were brought to different prisons and 87 prisoners were not allowed to receive any visitors.

    At the 12th of May 3 French-Basque youngsters, Haritza Galarraga, Amaia Rekarte and Yves Matxikote are arrested by the French police in Ipparralde (Northern Basque Country), at the request of Garzon. There was an international search warrant against them, and 20 others, since March 2002, in connection with the closure of the Basque leftwing youth organisation SEGI. They now have to defend themselves (they were released after 3 days) against the European Arrest Warrant in the court of Pau. Immediately after the arrests riot broke out in some Basque cities between youngsters and the riot police. In Baiona was at the 29th of May a demonstration of 2.500 people behind the slogan 'Utzi Bakean Euskal Herria', Leave the Basque Country alone. At the 3rd of June the court in Pau decides not to extradite them, not on principal of human grounds, but more technical; the 'crimes' (participation in demonstrations of SEGI in Donostia, Hendaia and Baiona) were carried out on French as well as Spanish soil. The European Arrest Warrant makes an exception for this, so there won't be an extradition (or 'handing over' in the new law). Eight countries still didn't ratify the EU warrant, Germany, Greece, Italy, Estonia, Letland, Malta, Slowakia and the Czech Republic. In France it works from the 9th of March this year.

    The heavily ill Basque political prisoner Edorta Agirre, who suffers from Hepatites B and TBC, is released the 16th of May after being held in prison for 16 years. According to the Spanish rules he should have been released much earlier, but he had to remain the full ride. Another very ill prisoner, Manu Azkarate, who was arrested in January 2004 while reporting in prison, dismissed the conditions for his release because all his were- abouts where to be checked extremely. He had to wear an electronic ankle-lace, a group of guards were to monitor him outside and they could enter his house whenever they wanted. Azkarate had to live according to a tight time-schedule, was to leave his house at pre-conditioned times and had to report this to the group following him. In 1992 Azkarate was very ill and released from prison, but in January this year the Audiencia Nacional decided that he had to do the rest of his sentence.

    In Donostia was in the weekend of the 20th of May an international solidarity conference with political prisoners worldwide, with participants from a.o. US, Germany, Denmark, Italy, Turkey, Chile and Palestine. In the closing statement an international coordination of solidarity work is called for and there will be worked on the building of an international solidarity network.

  2. Reports from human rights organisations

    The new chairman of the UN commission for the prevention of torture, the Spanish Fernando Marino Menendez, demands of the Spanish government that they have to carry out the recommendations to ban torture, done by the special reporter of his commission. In the new report of Amnesty International over 2003 the Spanish government is accused of violating the civil rights in the Basque Country. As example is given the closing without trial of the Basque daily Egunkaria and the torture of Basque political prisoners during the notorious 'incommunicado'-detention.

  3. The Basque Diaspora

    At the 23rd of April de extradition of the Basque political prisoner Jon Lopez Gomez to Spain is dismissed by the court of Bergen in Belgium, because of fear of torture. Besides that the judge thinks that the accusation by Spain that Gomez burned a buss (for which he is sentenced to 17 years in Spain) is not right, it's not a terrorist act. The at the same day, 31st of March caught Basque Diego Ugarte Lopez de Arkaute, is also not extradited yet because of fear of torture in Spain also. Both men are accused of 'collaboration' respectively 'membership of the armed organisation ETA'. Spain tries to get them through the new European Arrest Warrant. The High Court in Mons decides then on the 14th of May that extradition of both youngsters to Spain is allowed, also the Court of Cassation says so, but probably they are first sentenced in Belgium for the possession of false identity papers.

    At the 27th of April the Belgian Court of Cassation decides for the 3rd time since 1993 that the 2 Basque political refugees Rakel Garcia and Luis Moreno are not to be extradited to Spain. There is no evidence for the accusations of the Spanish justice department that they would have 'collaborated with the armed organisation ETA'. The Court also thinks that the case against the 2 Basques is too long ago. The Belgian prosecutor again went into appeal, and the case was sent back at the 11th of May to the lower court. They dismiss at the 26th of May again the extradition, and the prosecutor has two weeks to appeal again.

    On the 13th of May the Basque political prisoner Josu Bravo is extradited by the French authorities to Spain. He was arrested at the 13th of March in France and was until his extradition in isolation detention in Pau. He is now in the Madrid based prison Soto del Real.

    In France is at the 19th of May a prison sentence demanded against the Basque brothers Ismael and Joxean Berastregi of respectively 8 and 4 years, both because of 'belonging to an armed gang'. Joxean visited his brother Ismael in prison in December 2000, who walked out of prison as his brother. Both are accused of 'fleeing' and 'cooperation of fleeing' also.

    At the 8th of June the trial starts in Argentina against the Basque political refugee Josu Lariz Iriondo. At the 22nd of November 2002 Iriondo heard in Montevideo, Uruguay (where he lives for 15 years legally, is married and has children) that he authorities dismissed the extradition request of Spain for the 2nd time, but he was put on a plane in direction of Buenos Aires, where he was arrested and put in prison.

  4. 'Plan-Ibarretxe'

    The Spanish Constitutional Court decides to dismiss the appeal of the former PP-government, dated on the 13th of November 2003, against the 'Plan-Ibarretxe', the plan of the Basque president for more autonomy for the 3 Basque Autonomous Communities. According to the Court the plan meets all parliamentary conditions, without judging the content, and the banning of the debate about the proposition would 'directly go in against all basic principles of the parliamentary democracy'.

    At the 6th of May the Basque Government announces that the debate about the 'plan-Ibarretxe' will take place this year and that there will be a referendum among the citizens of the 3 Basque Autonomous Provinces. Before an alternative plan of the Sozialista Abertzaleak was not taken into account; it has also to do with the fact that it could happen that every motion of approval with the Sozialista Abertzaleak could be declared illegal later, given the Spanish justice a chance to sabotage the Basque parliament.

  5. News from the ranks of the Basque and Spanish governments

    The major of Gernika, Migel Angel Aranaz, asks the Spanish government to admit that Franco ordered the bombing of Gernika in 1937 by the German Condor Legion. According to him it would help the relatives and survivors to come into terms with the results of the bombings, in which hundreds of people died. After 67 years it is time to admit this, says the major. Seven years ago the German government admitted that the Condor Legion bombed Gernika at the orders of Franco.

    In the Basque parliament the governing parties PNV, EA and IU refuse a proposition of the Basque left to implement the 10 points that were drawn up to abandon torture.

    The Basque parliament also refuses to hear the testimony of the daughter of Kontxi Sanchez, the woman who died of a heart attack when the Basque regional police Ertzaintza attacked a manifestation in Hernani with rubber bullets. Kontxi Sanchez died also of the refusal from the Basque police to help her.

    At the 5th of May the Basque Autonomous Government announces that 2.529 of the 8.680 requests for financial compensation for imprisonment of 6 months or more during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) and Franco's dictatorship (1939-1975) are being taken into account. The rest is dismissed because they missed 'official documents', that had to prove that you were in prison. But these documents didn't exist, were destroyed or were lost. The Spanish government didn't help these victims for a minute.

    The spokesman of the PNV, Joseba Egibar, of EA, Rafael Larreina and of Sozialista Abertzaleak, Antton Morcilla has to respond to the Basque High Court for their position in the non- removal of the parliamentary fraction of Sozialista Abertzaleak. The Spanish High Court ordered that, after Batasuna was banned. Earlier the members of the commission of the Basque parliament Atutxa, Knoerr and Bilbao had to appear for the judge. They all defend the point of view that parliamentarians represent voters and not a party, therefore they should stay in their seats until the next elections.

  6. Voices from the press/New publications

    In the biography of the ex-prime minister of Spain Aznar, he uncovers that he already in 1999 decided to ban the left movement in the Basque Country, what succeeded only at the 17th of March 2003, when Batasuna was banned. In 1999 the 23 members of the board of Herri Batasuna were acquitted, after they were convicted in December 1997 to a 7 year prison sentence for spreading the peace proposal of ETA, the so called 'Democratic Alternative'.

  7. Actions for the environment/Labour actions

    The European Court for Human Rights in Strasbourg doesn't find irregularities in the changing of the law in Naffaroa for the realisation of the Itoiz-lake. The Itoiz coordination committee appealed because she believed there were political motivations behind the decision for the project and that it was an abuse of human rights. Greenpeace ventilated huge critics to the government of Naffaroa, who got the green light from the Spanish Constitutional Court, after as well the Spanish Court as the Spanish High Court decided the project as illegal. According to a spokesman of Itoizekiko Elkartasuna there has never been a debate about the project in the Nafforoan society and people opposing the project were described as terrorists. They appeal to the decision.

    At the 28th of April 50 members of AHT Gelditu! Elkarlana!, the Basque group against the Abiadura Handiko Trena (AHT), the high speed train, demonstrate in Brussels at the European parliament. The AHT has to cross through the Basque Country, with all the consequences for environment, mountains who have to disappear and also villages have to be evicted.

    At the 1st of May the Basque labour unions ELA, LAB, STEE- EILAS and EHNE demonstrate against the by the Spanish government imposed laws concerning labour conditions and economic relations. The unions target especially the flexible contracts and the dangerous situation on the work floor, that take every year numerous lives, especially from youngsters.

  8. Basque language ('Egunkaria'-case) and education

    In Geneva at the 4th of May there is a hearing of Un commission for economic, cultural and social rights, where the lawyer and member of the Basque monitor group for the Basque language can explain about the bad condition of the Basque language in the Basque Country. Special attention was there for the closing without trial of the only daily in Basque, the Egunkaria.

    In the European Parliament the proposal of the group MIDAS, an organisation of daily's published in minority languages, to examine the case of Egunkaria is taken into consideration. If it is approved then there will be finally a debate in the regular meeting of the EP.

    At the 9th of May 70.000 people gather in Ipparralde, the French part of the Basque Country, to support the Basque schools, the Ikastolas. It is the 21st time that this 'Herri Urrats' takes place and it is organised by Seaska, the organisation of Basque schools in Ipparralde. At the Ikastolas is not only the Basque language taught, but also the Spanish and the English.

    For financing the Basque schools in the province of Bizkaia 130.000 people attend the 26th gathering of Ibiladia.

    At the 17th and 18th of May there is a conference in Barcelona of the international PEN-club, an organisation of critical writers. Among others Salman Rushdie condemns in strong words, together with the former chief editor of Egunkaria Martxelo Otamendi, the closing of this newspaper. About the torturing of Otamendi, Rushdie said: "If they do that to some-one in his position, who has the chance of telling about it in many places, imagine what they would do to some-one who doesn't have that opportunity?"

    At the 22nd of May the Basque radical left singer Fermin Muguruza bumps into another attempt to ban one of his concerts, this time in Rivas-Vaciamadrid in Madrid. But because already 2000 tickets were sold, the organisation decides to let the concert run, fearing public disturbances. At the 6th of June Muguruza will perform at a festival to raise money for Basque schools in Bilbao, also the clown Porrotx, former councillor of Batasuna will perform, and the PP in the council of Bilbao wants a ban on them coming.

    At the 4th of June in Donostia there is a conference of MIDAS (see above), organised by the Basque newspaper Berria, where the closure of Egunkaria is condemned and the release of Inaki Uria and Xabier Alegria is demanded. The newspapers organised in MIDAS are called upon to write about the situation in the Basque Country. The chairman of MIDAS said they came to show solidarity.

    In Irunea thousands of people demonstrate at the 5th of June for the right of languages. Because of the ban on loudspeakers during the demonstration, people brought their own radios and listened to the speeches through Euskalerria Irratia, the Basque radio.

  9. Banning of the Basque list for the EU-elections Herritarren Zerrenda (HZ)

    At the 8th of May the new Basque list for the EU-elections is presented in Donostia; Herritarren Zerrenda (People's list) HZ; 54 candidates from all 7 Basque provinces on the 2 lists and they campaign under the slogan 'Euskal Herria libre mugarik gabeko European', a free Basque Country in a Europe without borders. Nr one candidate is Marije Fullaondo, a teacher from Getxo. More then 40.000 of the required signatures to participate are collected. In a new record, 2 days, the Spanish High Court bans the participation of the HZ-list, reason given is that they would be the successor of Batasuna. Another record is established when the appeal of HZ (Friday they heard that they could defend on Monday), is dismissed in 5 days by the Spanish Constitutional Court. In the 3 provinces of the Basque Country in France, HZ can take part as a legal party, but the chance with only 20.000 voters there is non-existent. At the 29th of May tens of thousands of people demonstrate in Bilbao against the banning and ballot-papers are handed out. See for more information in English, f.e. the program of HZ under documents at our site.

    At the 25th of May in Donostia there is a protest manifestation because it is one year ago that the Spanish government banned the electoral platform AuB, For Selfdeteremination. Despite the banning 168.000 were collected by Aub during the elections of the 25th of May last year. Spokesman of AuB Joserra Etxeberria said there is a form of 'political apartheid' and that AuB is being stolen from 500 council-seats and 17 provincial seats. He held the PSOE and the PP directly responsible for stealing the political and civil rights from thousands of Basque citizens and complained about the Basque political parties PNV, EA, IU and Aralar, who took the seats in the end without much protest. Batasuna-spokesman Joseba Permach demanded that the seats have to be handed over to AuB.

  10. Initiatives in the Basque Country for the solution of the conflict

    The Basque Autonomous Government closes a conference on peace at the 9th of May in Donostia with sending a proposal to the UN about the 'right on peace as a human right of every individual'. The minister of Justice makes a mistake saying that 'the ETA-supporters should organise themselves politically and say no to violence'. All political initiatives from the left Basques are banned.Despite this, the minister said that this year was decisive in solving the conflict.

    At the 12th of May the Bergara-Initiative, where the Basque left is working on a solution on the conflict, gives out a statement in which she says that 'all energy should be aimed at the creation of the conditions for a debate about the political solution of the conflict, with all political, social and labour initiatives, without excluding some-one'. The Bergara-Initiatiev thinks also that priority has to be given to such a process, above the 'Plan- Ibarretxe', which according to them won't solve anything but only aims at a different cooperation with the Spanish state.

    International personalities, among others Adolfo Perez Esquivel, call on a conference of international peace initiatives in Barcelona to ETA to 'make a clear gesture to stop with the violence and lay down the arms', to create a situation for the political solution of the conflict. Also the Spanish and Basque governments are called to 'create space to find solutions through dialogue, which didn't exist the last years'.

    An initiative is taken to come to a resurrection of the by the Spanish justice without a trial banned organisation Udalbiltza, the organisation of left councillors in the 7 provinces of the Basque Country. There is a website open to collect support for a conference to talk about such a resurrection, check www.udalbiltzabai.net.

    At the 17th of June the Basque peace organisation Elkarri will deliver 122.000 autographs to the Basque Autonomous Government and the Naffaroan government, to demand 'talks between the different parties, to institutionalise dialogue'. Until that time Elkarri will take actions to remove the obstacles that lie in the way, according to them the violence of ETA, the marginalisation of the Basque left and not specifying the conditions to come to a solution.

  11. Statements of ETA

    ETA sents letters to embassies of a.o. Germany and Great Britain, to warn tourists to not go to Spanish touristic places. In Catalonia there is still a cease-fire. Since 1979 ETA conducted 100 attacks in tourist places, numerous tourists were injured but never a foreign tourist was killed.

    At the 22nd of May ETA makes a new statement public, in which she emphasizes her will for a resolution of the conflict. They key is in the right of the self-determination of the Basque Country. "The years under the PSOE of the Gonzalez with his death squads of the GAL and the 8 years of Franco-party PP and the continuing repression of the French and Spanish state, didn't get down the Basque will for self-determination", says ETA, and "It is not like that that a solution will come like that, especially not in a time were the fundaments of the survival of the Basque Country are under fire". If the repression of the states continue, then "they will be confronted with a determined struggle for the freedom of Euskal Herria".

    12. 6th of June 2004, Baskenland Informatie Centrum (BIC)
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