2007/X/05
SPANISH ARRESTS SHOWS NO COMMITMENT TO DEMOCRACY OR EFFORTS FOR PEACE

The Basque Irish Committee have strongly condemned the arrests of 23 members of the political leadership of the Basque political party Batasuna. The 23 were arrested late on the night of Thursday the 4th of October.

Speaking today spokeperson for the committee David Kennedy said:

"What we have witnessed by the arrest of leading members of Batasuna is Spain's continued attack on democracy. With over 150,000 voters completely disregarded, Spain is the only country within the Europe to ban political parties and ignore the democratic vote.

"We have seen similar attempts in Ireland to criminalise citizens and those they elect and delegitimise serious political issues. It was counter productive in the search for peace in Ireland and only proved to slow the pace of change, not stop it.

"If anything can be learned from this it is that the jailing, and further arrests, of the leadership of Batasuna shows no commitment whatsoever by the Spanish Authorities towards the search for a lasting settlement to the Basque conflict, an attitude that must change.

"All of those arrested last night, along with Arnaldo Otegi, the party leader, should be released without delay and the Spanish authorities should commit fully to the search for a just and meaningful settlement to the continued conflict." ENDS

Note to Editor: There will be a protest to highlight the latest round of arrests in the Basque Country at 1pm, Saturday the 6th of October at the junction of the Falls Road and the Whiterock Road in Belfast and another protest will be hold in Cork on Tuesday and Dublin still need be confirmed.

The last supports have come from Sinn Fein, Socorro Rojo Internacional, Nòs Unidade Populare (Galiza), ABP (America), CCB (Coordinadora Continental Bolivariana)...