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

1. Basque political prisoners

   At the 7th of June the Basque political prisoner Fernando Arburua is released after 23 years in prison. He was kept in all notorious prisons of Spain, far away from Donostia where he was arrested in 1981. In the prison most far away of Euskal Herria, Salto de Negro at the Canary Isles, he spent 7 years. When his family came to visit, they had to stay there for a week for a visit of 10 minutes, because out of the summer season only 1 flight a week went. At the funeral of two of his brothers he was not allowed to be present. At the airport 300 people, later in Donostia by more then 500, awaited him.

   The Basque political prisoner Juan Luis Agirre Lete is turned over by French authorities to Spain on the 7th of June. Agirre is the friend of German Petra Elser, who was kept 3 years innocent in French and Spanish jails. Both were arrested in the south of France in 1996. (See also weekly overview nr 23 from 2003)

   At the 8th of June in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the extradition trial against the Basque political refugee Josu Lariz Iriondo. At the 22nd of November Lariz heard in Montevideo, Uruguay, where he is living for 15 years legally, married and with children, that the authorities dismissed for the 2nd time the Spanish extradition order. But he was put on a plane to Buenos Aires, where he was arrested and taken into a special antiterrorist prison. Madrid did sent one day before Lariz was put on a plane, already an extradition request to Argentina. And a false passport was put in his luggage. The Argentine judge had to admit that the facts of which Lariz is suspected are long over time and dismisses the extradition request but will not release Lariz until he examined new evidence brought in by witnesses. Lariz was arrested in 1992 in Montevideo, when he was accused with 13 others of membership of ETA. At the 8th of July he was released, but on the 12th of November 2001 he was arrested again for 'a crime of helping a criminal organisation', but is released again after some weeks. At the 30th of July he is arrested again and the handed over to Argentina.

   At the 17th of June in France in the places Limoges, Angers and Le Mans the Basques Fermin Martinez Bergara, Luis Zabalo, Juan Carlos Estevez, Asier Aginako, Aitziber Coello, Juan Carlos Subijana, Inaki Lopez de Bergara and Alberto Saavedra are arrested in a joint operation by Spanish and French police forces. According to the Spanish minister of Internal Affairs Alonso these people are responsible for the 'reservists' of ETA. All are locked in a special anti-terrorist prison in Paris. Against none of them is a case from Spain; 2 of them were extradited from France to Spain at the end of the nineties, but released in Madrid.

   The very ill Basque political prisoner Manu Azkarate from Tolosa is released at the 18th of June in Madrid. He was arrested in January when he reported in one day late. In 1992 he was released for a severe illness. (See last BIC-newsletter)

   The prison help organisation Etxerat publishes the figures from this year about the road accidents from people visiting political prisoners. This year already 73 accidents. According to the chairman of the Spanish prisonboard they won't change anything in the politic of dispersion of prisoners.

   At the 20th of June Juani Lizaso from Andoain is released with a bail of 60.000 euro, he was in prison in the operation from Garzon against the Herriko Taberna's.

   At the 23rd of June the Belgian State finally stops appealing against decisions taken by court in the case of Moreno and Garcia. For the 4th time the extradition request of Spain with the new European arrest warrant is dismissed. The facts are over time.

   The Basque political prisoners Juan Antonio Madariaga, Maite Diaz de Heredia and Ixone Urzelai are released at the 24th of June against a bail of 70.000 euro each. They were arrested in October 2001 respectively February 2003 in a police operation against Gestoras pro Amnistia and Askatasuna, together with 28 others. Fourteen of them, Iker Zubia, Gorka Zulaika, Julen Zelarain, Jagoba Terrones, Jon Beaskoa, Ainhoa Irastorza, Julen Larrinaga, Aratz Estonba, Josu Beaumont, Juan Mari Olano, Inaki Loizaga, Inaki Reta, Asier Virumbrales and Xabin Juaristi are still in detention without trial.

2. Reports from human rights organisations

   The secretary general of Amnesty International demands at the 8th of June from the Spanish government that they abandon the infamous 'incommunicado' detention. She spoke with Prime Minister Zapatero and his minister of Justice Aguilar; the last said "all complaints about torture were 100% false".

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

   According to a research of the Basque Autonomous Community and the government of Naffaroa there occurred in the South of the Basque Country (France) since the beginning of this year already 39 deadly accidents on the working floor. They also registered 153 heavy accidents.

4. Voices from the press/New publications

   At the 10th of June departing Euro-parliamentarian Koldo Gorostiaga gives a press conference, in which he oversees his 5 years of work in the EP. He had a lot of trouble with the members of PP, PSOE and IU in the parliament, but he managed to put "the Basque conflict on the European agenda". Arnaldo Otegi, one of the spokesmen of Batasuna, says on the same press conference that Europe should play a role in resolving the conflict, "because the conflict of Euskal Herria is with two member states of the EU". And "Europe can't measure with two different levels according to the creation of states in the East and West of Europe."

5. Actions for the environment/Labour actions

   In the beginning of June the trial against 26 members of the group 'Solidarios con Itoiz', they are accused of 'disobedience against state violence'. They tried in September 2003 to prevent the demolishment of some villages by chaining themselves to the roofs, to try to slow down the project of the Itoiz lake. They have to spent 20 days in jail or pay 400 euro. At the 19th of June 2000 people demonstrate in Irunea against the Itoiz project; they declare that the struggle against Itoiz will continue.

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

   At the 20th of June 55.000 people participate in the 24th edition of 'Araba Euskaraz', this time organised by the Ikastola (Basque school) in Bastida. The manifestation is meant to raise money for the improvement and survival of the Ikastolas.

   At the 25th of June the High Court of Naffaroa decides that the Basque language in bilingual cities will be treated as a 'foreign' language and therefore will not be used in the administrative level. The only language used there is Spanish.

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

   More then 120.000 people vote for the banned Basque list Herritaren Zerrenda (HZ), with which this list is the 2nd political force in Euskal Herria at the European elections. In some villages, as Leitza, Etxarri-Aranatz, Goizueta and 62 others HZ has the absolute majority.

8. Statements of ETA

   ETA gives at the 11th of June a statement about the events that took place at the 14th of September 2003 in Puerto de Herrera. At this day there was a shooting among the Basque regional police Ertzaintza and ETA-members; two officers were wounded, and the ETA-member, Arkaitz Otazua, is killed, according to ETA executed with 10 shots in the back.