Participation in the Second International Week of Solidarity with the Basque Country has been very large and crowded. Although we do not have all the data on the table, we can show a profound joy: activities have been conducted in about 25 cities, and that means double the amount of mobilizations of last year's I Week of Solidarity. This year also more people have taken part in the different acts, as over 2,000 people have participated in various rallies, lectures, video, dinners, etc. Moreover, the groups of solidarity with the Basque Country, 'Euskal Herriaren Lagunak' (EHL), have increased and so has the participation of other groups, and social and political organizations. For all these reasons, Askapena congratulates all the ones who have been working in the EHL groups, as well as all the organizations and groups who have taken part in the Second International Week of Solidarity with the Basque Country.
DEMOCRACY FOR THE BASQUE COUNTRY. NO TO REPRESSION
Last year once again, the Spanish government destroyed all hopes of resolving the conflict between the Basque Country and the French and Spanish States. The Spanish Labour Party PSOE alongside the Basque Nationalist Party PNV, closed the door of the negotiations with the Basque pro-independence movement.
During the negotiations, the majority of pro independence organisations continued to be banned or political activities were suspended by judges. Several media were closed down. 40 pro-independence activists were called to declare due to their political or social activities. 50 political events of the pro-independence movement were banned. 25 demonstrations were brutally attacked. 200 militants were judged for their activities before the negotiation period. 700 check points were detected on the roads. The Spanish army carried out operations in 30 towns in the south of the Basque Country. They identified 500 people for so called propaganda activities. They fined dozens of people for participating or requesting permission to organise political events. The Spanish government increased the total amount of years to do for "terrorism acts" to 40 years, ten extra years. Political prisoner Iñaki de Juana went on hunger strike for 100 days to protest against the fact that he had been sentenced to 3 extra years for writing an opinion article. Pro-independence Basque citizens denounced being tortured. The arrest of ETA volunteers continued... Despite all this, the pro-independence movement remained at the negotiating table until the Basque Nationalist Party and Spanish Labour Party PSOE withdrew leaving the pro-independence movement alone at the table.
As a result of the 18/98 Summary, the democratic "quality" of the Spanish state has been spread beyond its borders. International observers attended several sessions of the Summary, and they denounced its many irregularities, so the political and repressive character of the Spanish National Court is now well known among international lawyers. This Court was created by Franco, and 32 years after his death, it is still punishing the political fight.
Many journalists all over the world know now the closure of of the newspaper Egin and Egunkaria, and the magazine Ardi Beltza, and the detentions, imprisonment and tortures suffered by many of the people who worked in these media. More and more fields and countries are now aware of the lack of credibility of the democratic character of the Spanish state.
Askapena thank the expressions of solidarity received from different parts of the world, specially from the persons and organizations who are acting in solidarity with the detainees during the last police operation of the Zapatero government against Batasuna's leadership, and who are claiming the right of self-determination, and a negotiated solution for Euskal Herria, the Basque Country.
Euskal Herria is not alone in their fight, and have good friends all over the world as we can see them showing their solidarity in front of the Spanish consulates and embassies, and organizing informative talks and discussions about the ongoing political apartheid in Euskal Herria...
This solidarity work is not useless, and hurts the Spanish government strategy aiming to prolong a conflict lasting too many years.
During the Autumn of 2003, a delegation, made up of members of the National Lawyers Guild from the US and Association European Democratic Lawyers, visited the Spanish state in order to study the case in depth and met a broad span of people -including judge Baltasar Garzón and officials from the Spanish Ministry of Justice. They published a report about that visit.
In view of the clear violation of rights and liberties caused by these Proceedings, the beginning of the trials has brought about the need for an International Commission of Jurists that will safeguard the fundamental rights and liberties violated right since the beginning of the said Proceedings.
Here you are their last two reports and their link.
Trilingual leaflets were spread in Athens, outside the Olympic Stadium, in solidarity to the Basque country
A little before the basketball match between Panathinaikos and the Basque TAU , trilingual leaflets were spread (and given to those who had basque flags), in solidarity to the Basque country. The action didn't last long, due to the presence of undercovered policemen, but more than 400 were already distributed.
This small initiative, we hope, is the first of a series of action which aim to show that between the fans of Panathinaikos are voices stronger than the authoritative, apolitic, nationalistic, racist and sexist template.
Five hundred people seconded yesterday in Madrid the presentation of the Platform for Peace, Rights, Dialogue and Negotiation. A citizen initiative promoted by well-known faces of the culture and university scope with the aim to work in favour of the process.
The platform has come up from an initiative promoted by a group of personalities of the political, university and cultural scope such as the writer Carlo Frabetti, the philosopher Javier Sádaba, the member of the Political Council of IU (United Left) Jaime Shepherd, the professor of Penal Right in the Complutense University Carmen Lamarca or the member of the Theology of the Liberation and priest of the well-known Borromeo parish, Enrique de Castro.
From 8.30pm at Conway Mill, Lower Falls Road, you will find Basque traditional musicians, Irish and Basque DJ's playing ska, reggae and Basque mixes, patxaran, t-shirts, video screenings... and many more surprises.
Previous editions have been a huge success. We ask everybody to come early to avoid disappointment as it always gets packed.
Tickets: £5 before 10pm / £8 after 10pm.
Bring your own.
Keep up to date on the Basque struggle at: www.irishbasquecommittees.blogspot.com
Basques in Scotland took to the streets of Edinburgh to protest about the incarceration last year of a Basque political activist, Iñaki de Juana. Inaki has been jailed for the writing of two articles which supposedly threaten the Spanish state (its what the Francoist Spanish state do on a regular basis in their dirty war against the Basques).
There is not one single line in either article that could possibly be interpeted in such a way. This is a clear cut human rights violation by the Spanish state.
Iñaki has been on hungerstrike (twice) in protest at his imprisonment for what is now 112 days. He is currently being force-fed but his condition is rapidly deteriorating.
In Madrid some young people in the university have made different actions in the last weekend too ino order to inform people aboat Iñaki's situation.
Last weekend, from the 17th to the 20th of January, the project "Friends of the Basque Land" was born in several parts of Europe. The solidarity and complicity from other peoples is more than ever necessary in these difficult but hopeful times, in order to, altogether, you from outside and us from inside compel the Spanish and French governments to reach a just resolution on the conflict and real peaceful solution.
