Saturday, July 26, 2003

Mexico Under Spain's Demands

Regarding the arrest of the six Basques and the three Mexicans accused of belonging to ETA (without any solid evidence presented by Spain until today) it is a good idea to read this article (translated to English) appeared at La Jornada back in 1996

LA JORNADA. April 29th, 1996. David Aponte.

THERE IS NO CAMPAIGN TO PURSUE BASQUES RESIDENTS IN MEXICO

"The government of Spain does not have any policy of persecution against resident Basques in Mexico or in any other country, the same way it does not have one single Spanish policeman in Mexican territory who collaborates to find alleged members of Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA)", said the ambassador Jose Luis Dicenta Ballester.

The Spanish representative diplomatic considered that Mexico is a model nation of political asylum, and that is not a "sanctuary" of etarras (ETA members), but we should not confuse such right with the due freedom of guarantees of that nature to alleged terrorists. In the same way we can not accuse Spain of violating human rights of Basque politicians, he said.

Dicenta Ballester, lawyer and career diplomatic, complained about the "distortion" and about the "sympathetic treatment" towards the subject of independence of Basque Country, mainly to Spaniards allegedly involved with ETA. The Spanish regime does not torture any more, and the just causes of every Spaniard, including those of the citizens of Euskadi, can be debated "without any fear to any kind of paybacks", he added.

In his office of the Spanish embassy, he spoke to LA JORNADA about the recent detention of four ETA Basques in Mexican territory, saying that it is not a "taboo" subject any more, and mentioning the changes and amendments of the Extradition Treaty between Mexico and Spain.

The ambassador explained that the Extradition Treaty has been modified and updated to adapt it better to some crimes like terrorism, drug traffic, money laundry, arms traffic, and fiscal crimes. All the Estates have to fight against these illegal practices and update their international agreements.

"It is evident, as an example, that while terrorism were considered a political crime, since it was impossible to ask for the extradition of possible terrorists who were charged of terrorism crimes and that were claimed to be extradited by the Spanish State to be jailed for such reasons. Therefore, that is one of the points that was modified substantially in the new Treaty with Mexico".

"Terrorism is no longer considered a political crime. That is the reason there is not political asylum to terrorists any more. And this is not an Spanish sui generis tendency, but part of International Right, very common in the in the whole world, nowadays. The nations are in a closer relationship to finish up with the local and international terrorism".

"Not a country wishes to be sanctuary of any kind of criminals. It is a fact that, to Mexico, will continue to enter citizens of other countries. It is a country, that we the Spaniards, must say loud and clear has had always the door open to political refugees from the Spanish Civil War. We do know that by fact and that is why, the democrats of Spain like us consider Mexico as political asylum heaven".

" But by the same token we do not want to confuse the right of asylum with the freedom of warrantees for possible actors of bloody crimes, including of course terrorism. Spain, today, is a democracy on a 100%, where not only any ideology can be preached and followed, but also where any political goal, including the maximum autonomy, can be attained following the constitution. Through dialog, negotiations, debates. Through the votes in elections, just like the pro-independence political party Herri Batasuna continues to do year after year during the elections periods. Only through that way whatever is coveted can be achieved or at least whatever they can get."

"It can not be achieved any goal in a democratic country like Spain, is through the violence,, blackmail, kidnap, threat, shot in the head, and public mass murders at random. This is a method that any civilized Estate rejects and condemns."

In regard to the extradition of Basques allegedly involved with ETA, Maria Begonia Sanchez Del Arco, Vicente Sagredo Rivas, Koldo Dominguez, and the most recent detention of Andoni Zelaia Otanio, he said that they were expelled from Mexico, because they did not have their paperwork in rule, besides having some dealings with the Spanish justice. In this last case, there is petition for extradition, he added.

"I want to emphasize categorically, specially in my case, in which I have worked and fought for freedom and democracy in my country all my life, that it surprises me the confusion and misunderstandings that people give to the extradition issue, and more specifically in reference to the Basque issue: there is not a special wish to pursue Basques at all. The citizens of Euskadi are considered by the Spanish government as respectable and loved like any other citizen of any other Autonomous Spanish Community. If there is a case where extradition of any Basque has been solicited due to accusations of committing a crime, has nothing to do of being specifically applied to Basques for the fact of being citizens of Euskadi".

"In second place, when I read that these persons are chased with the intention of putting them in jail, torture them, etc. Well, that brings me back to times of the past when there was torture, and yes there was sinister police force, but not in the Spain of today by any means, where we enjoy a full democracy with mechanisms to prevent those things to happen. Of course there could be some exceptional cases, but all in all, Spain can not be accused of being a country where Human Rights are not respected, including those rights of any detainee."

"Therefore, such thing like they are dragged to the airplane to send them in the first flight Mexico-Madrid, and as soon as they arrive there, they are sent to dungeons, and tortured and extorted. That really surprises me, that is not the Spain we live in today, and I believe Mexico knows better because we have been working together during the last 20 years in our diplomatic relationships, bilaterally."

"Mexico and the Mexicans know perfectly what is the situation of the democracy in Spain today, and it is not, by any means that one that certain commentaries in the press portray about criminals, and in addition always from Euskadi. I never see anything like that when the subject is a citizen from Alicante or Palma de Mallorca, but when it comes to a Basque somehow related to politics, the situation is different."

Dicenta mentioned that the struggle put up by the Basques against Franco was well received by the majority of Spaniards. But since the implantation of democracy, ETA's violence has represented a serious obstacle for the development of Euskadi and a burden to the machinery of the Autonomous Community of Basque Country. "The crimes of ETA do not do any good, on the contrary they make it harder to progress economically, politically, and socially in this region."

"At the present time, I do not understand that there could be some remnants from the past in this issue. This mentality should be updated and recognize that the situation in Spain has changed since the last 20 years, there is no repression, but a total democracy and freedom since 20 years ago."

"It surprises me the sympathetic treatment, a sympathy treatment they receive because they are fighters for a just cause against a regime who continues to torture. Well, let me tell you, the actual regime does not practice torture any more, and the just causes so coveted can be discussed in the congress of representatives with no problem of fear to adverse consequences whatsoever."

The Spanish diplomatic stated that the subject of ETA is no longer a taboo. "It is good to discuss about it and let the public Mexican opinion the real image of why an ETA militant can be extradited. We should take it as something coherent, is just like if a man put bombs in a VIPS (kind of Dennys in USA) of Mexico killing 14 people and goes to Spain to seek asylum, it should be possible to extradite such person to Mexico to be punished by the Mexican justice."

Interviewer:

Some of the Basque detainees, accused of having relationships to ETA, have talked about the participation of the Spanish police in Mexico. What is the level of cooperation between the Mexican and Spanish police?

Dicenta:

The level is excellent. We have a very good relationship with Mexico in all fields: commercials, cultural, security services, among the armed forces...

Interviewer:

The specific question would be: Do Spanish police act in Mexico?

Dicenta:

No, no, no. One thing is the fact that there are good relationship in regard of exchange of information, but police here, there is none, there is non, and it can not be Spanish police....The extradition subject is not a fun matter for any country, is a very delicate and complex theme. But we have to face reality.


Reports say that Spanish secret services officers did take place in the arrests of the nine individuals a few days ago.

Does Dicenta remind you of Ruperez?

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Monday, July 21, 2003

Police Operation in Mexico

The article you're about to read describes the recent police operation in Mexico against six Basque political refugees.

I will reproduce the article as is because it contains all the propaganda elements against the Basques, from denying their identity to the obliteration of a justice concept called "presumption of innocence".

Here you have it:
Mexico probes suspected chemical arms ETA link

by Lorraine Orlandi

MEXICO CITY, July 20 (Reuters) - Information on how to make chemical weapons and other materials related to possible political violence were found in a Mexican safe house used by Spaniards and Mexicans suspected of links to the guerrilla group ETA, officials said.

Ten people were arrested in Mexico and Spain on Friday in a crackdown on the financial and logistic structure of the Basque separatists.

Six Spaniards and three Mexicans were detained in cities across Mexico and were being held on Sunday awaiting extradition proceedings. One Spaniard was arrested in northern Spain, Spanish Interior Minister Angel Acebes said on Saturday.

At a house in the Pacific Coast resort of Puerto Escondido, a search turned up manuals on how to make chemical weapons and on ETA operations, as well as 25 videos of ETA activities, bank statements and other evidence, Mexico's Attorney General's Office, or PGR, said in a news release.

"An e-mail sent by code contained data on making chemical weapons," Jose Luis Santiago of the PGR's organized crime unit told reporters late on Saturday. "That does not mean they had a laboratory here and were making them."

Mexican authorities also searched houses in the Caribbean resort of Cancun, in the northern industrial hub of Monterrey, in the central city of Puebla and elsewhere where suspects were operating.

The group called itself a "refugees' collective," and officials said several of those detained allegedly channeled funds to and from ETA or helped exiled members hide their identity.

Probe continues

Accounts worth 900,000 Mexican pesos ($87,000) were frozen as part of the investigation, which began last year and is continuing, Santiago said.

"These were our first objectives in the initial phase of the operation, but we obviously will continue to explore the information obtained in the searches and the documents they themselves were carrying," he said.

The Attorney General's office said most of those held had fled Europe after involvement in ETA's campaign of bombings and assassinations in the last two decades and were in Mexico with false documents.

In the last fatal attack claimed by the group in May, ETA placed a bomb beneath a police car that killed two officers and seriously injured a third in an area of northern Spain that ETA claims as part of greater Basque homeland.

In a middle-class neighborhood of Monterrey, television cameras camped out over the weekend on the front lawn of Asier Arronategui Duradle, who authorities said was part of the ETA cell providing logistic and financial support.

His wife, Monica Busurto Marquez, told reporters her husband had nothing to do with political violence and they had been planning to move soon to Spain with their three children to join his ill father.

(With additional reporting by Deborah Tedford in Monterrey)


This is not the first attack against the Basque political refugees in Mexico, we have to remember the ongoing case that involves Lorenzo Llona Olalde. Now, Mexico has always been well regarded in the international community as a safe haven for individuals avoiding political persecution, discrimination, religious persecution and such. Sadly, the panorama is quickly changing because today Mexico is ruled by an ultra conservative political party called PAN, akin in ideology to the openly fascist Partido Popular from Spain.

Is no wonder that Mexico, seeking to get support from Spain to gain profitable trade deals with the European Union, is now willing to use Basques as scape goats. Aznar is using Mexican President Vicente Fox as a willing pawn in his repression of the Basque society.

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Friday, July 18, 2003

Nabarralde

This is a long overdue link, I should have done this months ago.

I just addes the link to Nabarralde, if you are interested in the history of the Basque people you wild find this site very interesting, if the defense of cultural identity floats your boat here you have a chance to interact with a dedicated group of people trying to preserve Europe's oldest culture and language.

Nabarralde refers to the efforts by the Basques of Nafarroa, also known as Navarra and Navarre to bring down one of the most widespread lies when it comes to the Basque identity, that there was never a Basque state. Nafarroa managed to thrive as the kingdom of the Basques for over 800 years, that is 300 years more than the present Kingdom of Spain that has lasted only 500 years.

Go visit the site!

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Thursday, July 17, 2003

State Terrorism and Impunity

This article was published at Behatokia's web page:

State terrorism and impunity: the murder of Santi Brouard

On 20 November 1984 two gunmen walked into the medical practice where Santiago Brouard worked; he was a paediatrician and a leader of the political party Herri Batasuna. They shot him six times, killing him instantly. Right from the beginning, a sense that the murder had been committed by members of the state security forces under the acronym GAL (Antiterrorist Liberation Groups) was clear.

The investigation and trial for these events was to be a series of obstacles put in place by the state in order to prevent the truth becoming known and therefore the responsibility of important members of the PSOE government. Within the juridical reasoning for the trial, judge González Armengol, in charge of the investigation of the case, states that the crime was “an idea of the highest member of the State Security, financed by him, organised by persons close to him and covered up through concrete and specific orders to paralyse the police investigations”.

Nevertheless, despite these very serious aspects to the crime, the justice system has been completely unable to determine the responsibilities in the murder and throw light on this case. Twenty years later, the court case against the alleged murderers of Santi Brouard took place in the Bizkaia Province Court. Two precisions must be made: in the first place, the evident delay in the proceedings and secondly the fact that the it trial took place in the Province Court and not in the Audiencia Nacional (National Court), which is the court in charge of cases of terrorism. This last fact is not just a matter of detail, in that it means the murder of Santi Brouard is denied the character of terrorism. In the nearly 20 years that have passed since the crime, the `Brouard case´ has been through the hands of up to 10 judges and ended with a firm sentence, later ratified by the Supreme Court, in 1993. Two men, Mafiosi and without any political responsibilities, were then sentenced for having been the material agents of the murder: Rafael Lopez Ocaña to 33 years jail and Juan Jose Rodriguez Diaz aka “El Francés” to 8 years in jail. The case was reopened after the arrest of Jose Luis Morcillo Pinillos in possession of 100000 pills of Extasy. He was considered to be the co-murderer and the prosecutor requested his being sentenced to 31 years in jail. After 5000 pages of documents and over eight years of investigation the court case finally came round, in this instance with the added possibility of trying those who planned the murder from the shade of their offices.

Nevertheless the court case was full of contradictions in the statements, of incoherent accusations, of rather inconsistent evidence, etc. which meant the case was completely muddled up and preventing the people really behind the murder from being tried.

The accused for the murder of Santi Brouard:

Several police officers and high up members of the Home Office under the PSOE government were tried for various actions related to this case.

José Luis Morcillo Pinillos, an industrialist from Granada and the deceased Rafael López Ocaña a Mafiosi and usual criminal, the material agents who shot Santi Brouard.

Julián Sancristóbal, General Director of State Security, for induction and giving necessary co-operation for the murder.

José Amedo, police Sub-inspector, for induction to the murder.

Rafael Masa, lieutenant colonel of the Guardia Civil, a necessary co-operator.

Francisco Alvarez, head of the MULC (Single Command for Anti-terrorism); Jesús Martinez Torres, general inspector for information; Miguel Planchuelo, superior head of police in Bilbao; and Michel Dominguez, member of the Policia Nacional, as accessories.

During the case, the responsibility of the State Secretary for Security, Rafael Vera and the Home Office secretary, José Barrionuevo, who appeared as witnesses was also stated by several of the accused.

Court decision on 25 June

The First Section of the Bizkaia Province Court decided to acquit the three main accused - José Luis Morcillo, José Amedo and Rafael Masa- of the murder of HB leader Santiago Brouard for lack of conclusive evidence.

In the 48 page long sentence, the court considers that the events “do not constitute the penal infringements they are accused of since none of the illegal types have been proven, so that there is no criminal responsibility”. In this sense, the court underlined the fact that “the referential witnesses would have the ability to prove the events postulated by the prosecutions have absolutely lacked the will to do so”.

The lawyer for the Brouard family, Txema Montero, admitted being “very frustrated because after 18 years we have only managed to sentence one of the material murderers and the person who facilitated the weapons” .the lawyer for the private prosecution also denounced the fact that “during 18 years there has been nothing but obstacles put in our path by the Police and the State Machine” and he pointed out that “this matter will be resolved by historians”.

The fiscal, on the last day of the trial, maintained that the State Security Forces were involved in the murder and that all those responsible for the murder had not sat on the bench in court and now never will.

The daughter of HB leader Santi Brouard, murdered in Bilbao on 20 November 1984, stated that the family is “destroyed” after hearing news of the acquittal. “If the path of the courts has been closed to us, we shall look for other paths, we will not give up,” she said. According to Edurne Brouard “the family has heard of the sentence with resignation”. She had already stated both before and during the trial that the family did not have much faith in the result of this second trial for the murder of the HB leader since “those truly responsible for the murder are not sitting on the bench of the accused”. After hearing the sentence, Edurne Brouard expressed the family’s “bitterness” and the feeling of impunity since “in this State the path of justice has shown itself not to have any guarantees, as we already pointed out nineteen years ago, when we said that the State would never try itself, as we have now seen”.

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Wednesday, July 16, 2003

The Tour's Ambitious Basques

Here you have an article about the Basques taking part in this year's edition of the Tour de France:

Be wary of 'Vino' and ambitious Basques, Lance

Tue Jul 15,10:44 AM ET Add Sports - AFP to My Yahoo!

MARSEILLE, France (AFP) - Lance Armstrong is not going to have it all his own way in the coming days in the Tour de France despite the abandon of his main rival Joseba Beloki, according to murmurs in the race peloton.

Beloki, the 29-year-old ONCE rider who has finished on the Tour podium for the past three years crashed out of the race on Monday after a dramatic fall which almost took Armstrong down too.

Armstrong had to cut through a field to avoid the stricken Spaniard and went on to finish the stage in third place behind talented Telekom rider Alexandre Vinokourov.

Vinokourov, the winner this season of his second straight Paris-Nice, the Amstel Gold race and the Tour of Switzerland, is now in second place overall at 21 seconds behind the 31-year-old American.

And despite saying he had no yellow jersey aims, some feel the the Kazakh has the tools to spring a surprise on US Postal's four-time Tour champion, who some feel is not at his habitual best.

Millar, who complained about the peloton's apparent lack of ambition to challenge Armstrong's US Postal team, feels the Texan could find himself rustled when the race heads into the Pyrenees.

"I think the race is going to go crazy in the Pyrenees," Millar said prior to the start of the 10th stage between Gap and Marseille.

"It's going to be harder for Lance now even though Beloki's gone.

"At least when Beloki was there Lance knew who to control. Now, the attacks could come from anywhere and the Euskaltel riders are going to try and rip the race to pieces," added Millar, referring to Iban Mayo's emphatic stage win on the Alpe d'Huez a few days ago for his climb-orientated Basque outfit.

Four days of tough climbing in the Pyrenees start on Saturday after Wendesday's rest day and an individual time trial on Friday where Armstrong will bid to increase his lead over the 29-year-old Kazakh.

The jury is still out on Vinokourov, who some say is the most under-rated rider in the peloton while Millar simply described him as "strange".

.... ... .

Monday, July 14, 2003

Joseba's Accident

It was so sad to see Joseba Beloki's accident at the Tour de France today. He was the runner up in last year's edition and the accident happened during a duel with Lance Armstrong.

All I can hope is that he is back next year.

.... ... .

Irish Solidarity in San Antonio

Aznar is touring the US again, he is trying to extract as much political profit as he can from his support to George W. Bush's new era of US colonialism referred to as "war on terrorism".

He went to San Antonio where he addressed a crowd of ignorant and poorly educated Texans, just the kind of public he loves. But then something happened that brought him back to reality, read the article, I highlighted the best part.

Here it is:

Spanish premier extols U.S.-European ties

By Karen Adler and Juan Muñiz
Web Posted : 07/13/2003 12:00 AM

Calling his country "a loyal partner and ally" of America, Spanish Prime Minister José María Aznar said a strengthened link between the United States and Europe is the key to world security and prosperity. Aznar arrived in San Antonio on Saturday night on the tail end of a trip to U.S. cities with cultural and historic connections to Spain.

"I am pleased to see the drive, dynamism and pride with which the Hispanic community, aware of its great potential, contributes to enhance the stature of the United States," he said during a reception held by the World Affairs Council at the Institute of Texan Cultures.

Spain is among the staunchest supporters of the U.S.-led war in Iraq and sent 900 noncombat troops to assist in the conflict. According to the Associated Press, Spanish officials announced Friday the country is sending 1,300 peacekeeping troops to Iraq.

"We cannot allow the main institutions which must guarantee world peace and security to be rendered irrelevant," Aznar said through an interpreter. "This is why we were on the United States' side in the military intervention, and why Spain is active in the force for the stabilization and economic reconstruction of Iraq."

Descendents of Canary Islanders who first settled San Antonio in 1731 were delighted to meet the prime minister. The Canary Islands, in the Atlantic off the coast of Morocco, are part of Spain but operate autonomously.

"I'm thrilled to death," Ginger Purdy, a ninth-generation Canary Island descendent, said of Aznar's visit. "I've always thought we should have a closer relationship with Spain."

About the only discordant note during Aznar's visit was a brief protest, when three people with the Irish Unity Committee in Houston arrived outside the institute, claiming Aznar has violated the human rights of Basque residents of Spain.

The Basques are thought to be related to Celts such as the Irish.

During his high-security, whirlwind visit, Aznar was escorted by U.S. Secret Service agents to several sites including San Fernando Cathedral, La Mansion del Rio, and the University of Texas at San Antonio Downtown Campus.

Discordant for Aznar and the imbeciles who invited him, how can they organize an event that revolves around a fascist and authoritarian politician?

Peace keepers is what they called the members of Spain's military forces in Spain? No sir, the correct way to call them is mercenaries.

Oh, and by they way, who told the authors of the article that the Basques are of Celtic ancestry? Talk about a poor fact finding job.


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Sunday, July 13, 2003

Corsicans Reject Sarkozy's "Solution"

Here you have an article from the BBC regarding how the Corsicans refused to be fooled by Sarkozy and said no to his proposal. As you will find out, Corsicans long for nothing less than full independence from France.

Check this out:

Turbulent Corsica spurns autonomy

By Martin Buckley
In Corsica

It was 0330 on a soft summer night when a loud explosion jerked us awake. I ran onto the hotel balcony, to see a plume of white smoke slowly rising over the town of Ile Rousse. A bomb had destroyed a restaurant on the seafront.

The blowing up of public buildings isn't exactly rare in the world's trouble spots, but Ile Rousse is one of the most popular seaside resorts in one of the most desirable tourist destinations in Europe: Corsica.

Last Sunday, there was a referendum in Corsica. Independence has always been the only issue here. For centuries, the island was controlled by the Italian Republic of Genoa.

In the 1750s, Corsica saw the emergence of a republic under the leadership of a brilliant liberal intellectual, Pascal Paoli. But this early flowering of Enlightenment thought quickly crashed to an end when France supposedly "bought" the island from the Genoese.

Shock tactics

The French brutally imposed Parisian rule - and the French language - to replace the medieval Tuscan dialect spoken on the island.

For two centuries, Corsicans continued to reject the French claim to the island, but it wasn't until the 1970s that the dream of independence was truly reborn.

The evening scent of Mediterranean pine will occasionally be mixed with the smell of plastic explosive
The new freedom fighters wanted to protect their language from oblivion, and their environment from the tide of concrete overwhelming the coastlines of France and Spain. Brushed aside, as they saw it, by mainland businessmen and corrupt politicians, they turned to shock tactics.

Soon, Corsica had joined Northern Ireland and Spain's Basque country as a place of bombings and murders.

The climax of this violent campaign came five years ago, when Claude Erignac, the island's préfet, the most senior representative of the French Government, was murdered. Eight men were eventually charged.

They staunchly maintained they had committed a political act, to strike a blow at an "occupying" power.

But the man believed to have pulled the trigger, Yvan Colonna, evaded capture, and soon acquired mythic status. He was said to have taken refuge in the hills, like a bandit of old, hiding among the gorse and the sheep from the invaders' troops.

Corsica remains a tourist paradise, with turquoise beaches to rival those of the Caribbean. But this small island of just 260,000 inhabitants sees several bombings a week.

Driving close to the exclusive resort of Porto Vecchio, where opulent yachts loll at anchor, I was intrigued by the sight of a large white building that looked as if an earthquake had hit it.

In-fighting

It turned out to be a nightclub complex that had been, as they say, "plastické" - blown up with plastic explosive.

Banks and government offices also get "plasticked", as do businesses that refuse to pay money to protection rackets.

Indeed, a few days after that first bomb in Ile Rousse, we were woken by another explosion. This time, a furniture shop had gone up in flames.

Under the plane trees in a mountain village above the resort, I found myself talking to an old man. He grew up in this village, at a time when children ran barefoot, the only means of transport was the mule, and no-one spoke French.

Corsicans are cagey about discussing the politics of their island with strangers. But the man eventually told me he agreed with blowing up inappropriate tourist developments.

He admitted sadly, though, that the independence movement had degenerated into in-fighting, and that many bombings were insurance scams.

It angers him that such criminality gives credence to the cliché of Corsicans as a bunch of macho brigands. But despite it all, he insists that Corsicans will never allow themselves to become, merely, French citizens.

Which brings us back to last Sunday's referendum.

Nicolas Sarkozy, the French minister of the interior, is an ambitious contender for the presidency. He wanted to be seen to be doing something about the most intractable problem in French domestic politics.

But he had to placate all those who are bitterly opposed to rewarding Corsican terrorism with the plum prize of autonomy.

Mr Sarkozy's response was a referendum so abstruse and vague it managed to please neither the separatists, nor the island's traditionally cautious electorate.

Up in flames

It was ironic that, as Corsicans tried - and failed - to get passionate about a referendum, four men of intense political passion were being tried 1,000 kilometres away in Paris for the murder, five years ago, of the Corsican prefect.

Then, barely 48 hours before the vote, Yvan Colonna, the principal suspect in the murder case, long at large in the Corsican mountains, was suddenly captured.

Many Corsicans suspected the police must have known Colonna's whereabouts for some time - that arresting him now was an outrageous piece of political theatre.

After two days of excited and, it must be said, not always coherent debate, voters rejected the government's proposals, by just 51% to 49%. Driving home the message, four holiday homes belonging to non-Corsicans went up in flames that night.

So, for now, all hopes that limited autonomy would silence the independence movement have gone out the window.

Turbulent Corsica remains a thorn in the flesh of France's political elite. And the evening scent of Mediterranean pine will occasionally be mixed with the smell of plastic explosive.


.... ... .

Wednesday, July 09, 2003

Open Letter

Here is a copy of the letter that IBO will be sending to the different Human Rights organizations around the world:

To whom it may concern:

I am writing to you on behalf of the newly formed International Basque Organization, Inc. (IBO).

I am the coordinator for IBO's Human Rights Committee which has as its mission to form a network with other world wide organizations and individuals that work on an everyday basis to improve the conditions of those who because of their ethnicity, nationality, gender or religion have to face intolerance and suffer attacks on their basic freedoms.

Today the Basque society faces a serious threat. Our whole culture is being labeled as an apology of terrorism, and the reality of the Basque Country is manipulated in the international media to fit the agenda of those who deny the Basques their right to self-determination, a right that is protected by the UN charter.

As Basque people continue to petition for their inherent right to search for their own political options and solutions to the present conflict they are met with threats, unusual punishment and loss of their personal freedoms by the Spanish State as well as subtle but formidable resistance from the French State. This harsh reality robs the Basque people of the right to excercize and have access to free press, the right to fair elections, freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom from false arrest and imprisonment.

If you are interested in establishing communication with IBO, will you please contact us? It is our hope to develop mutually supportive relationships with dedicated human rights professionals. If you need more information don't hesitate to ask; we are here to shed light on the Basque culture, language and history. Here is the link to our site:

www.euskojustice.org

International Basque Organization.


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Monday, July 07, 2003

Dispersal's Victims

It is little known around the world but Spain and France punish not only the Basques activists they catch for working in behalf of Euskal Herria's self-determination, they also punish their families with a policy known as "dispersal" which consists on placing the Basque political prisoners as far away from home as possible, a policy that violates Spain's own laws and several international treaties on human rights.

Here you have this report via Behatokia about the casualties caused by this vile policy:

Dispersal policy: tragic list of accidents

There have been 16 serious accidents on the way to weekly visits so far this year

The tragic list of serious road accidents suffered by relatives and friends of Basque political prisoners continues to increase. Although the Basque social and political majority agrees that the policy of dispersal is a breach of jailed people’s rights and is an added punishment for their loved ones, week after week these relatives and friends have to travel hundreds and even thousands of kilometres within the short time period of a weekend. The consequences are dramatic:

16/01/04: on their way to Zuera jail, in Zaragoza, 218 Km away from the Basque Country, Basque prisoner Egoitz Askasibar’s friends had a dramatic accident. The vehicle in front of them suddenly breaked –the driver gave a positive when he was breathalysed- and they crashed into it.

25/05/04: Basque prisoner Ramón López’s wife and sister had an accident on their way to Alcalá Meco Jail -1,000 Km there and back. Although they were not hurt, the material damage was important. This prisoner’s Vis a Vis (conjugal) visits have been changed to weekdays, which makes it difficult for his loved ones to attend; they have to take days off work, etc.

29/05/04: Ibai Aiensa’s sister and a friend had a serious accident on their way back from the visit in Alcalá Meco jail. Due to the accident, they were taken to Tutera hospital; his sister has a contraction in her back and a sprain in the cervical area.

29/05/04: four friends of prisoner Jon Mintegiaga had an accident on their way home after a visit in Alcalá Meco. The car was a write-off and the four friends who sustained bruising, had to travel home by taxi.

30/05/04: after visiting Basque prisoner Estanis Etxaburu in Granada –the jail is 903 Km from the Basque Country- two of his friends had an accident near Somosierra, Madrid.

05/06/04: two friends of prisoner Alberto Rei had an accident at 05.30 in the morning on their way to Uzerche jail, in France -820 Km from the Basque Country- where he is being held. They still managed to make it to the visit.

13/06/04: José Mari Tokero’s relatives had an accident at around eight in the morning on their way to the visit in Teruel jail. As a consequence, an ambulance had to take them to Teruel hospital and the car was written off. They all sustained extensive bruising and three of them are still recovering from various injuries in hospital.

Leo Esteban, another victim of dispersal

He died due to the serious wounds he suffered in an accident.

Dispersal has terrible consequences, further than a list or statistics on the accidents. Family members and friends suffer sequels they carry with them for the rest of their lives.

This was Leo Esteban’s case, Basque prisoner Esteban Esteban Nieto’s brother. He died on June 3rd after a fifteen year struggle with nineteen operations on his legs and two more on his hips. Leo Esteban had an accident on April 3 1989, in Jaen, on his way to Puerto de Santa María jail –in Cádiz- over 1,000 Km away from the Basque Country; “I didn’t pass out at any moment, I felt an awful pain in my leg. When I sat up I saw my leg was hanging off a strip of flesh.”

His brother Esteban had a terminal illness –another example of the terrible consequences of the policy of dispersal, lack of healthcare-. He was released on April 1999 and would die shortly, on 26 September that same year due to the terminal illness he had been developing for years in jail.

In an emotional press conference, Leo and Esteban’s family wondered “where is the resolution against dispersal the Basque parliament passed?”; “it would appear we, the relatives, do not exist; we are made of stone, we have no parents, no brothers and sisters”. The truth is that this brutal policy continues to claim lives in silence.

Statements by the new Spanish director of Instituciones Penitenciarias

Mercedes Gallizo, the new director of Instituciones Penitenciarias (prisons), stated that the PSOE government is not going to “rethink” the policy of dispersal and that it does not plan to “change the agreements we have on this issue”.

The Justice Councillor of the Regional Basque Government stated he found it “hard to understand” for a party that calls itself progressive and left wing (the PSOE) to maintain a “vindictive” penitentiary policy. According to the Councillor “once they have been sentenced, they have their punishment from the judges, and the policy of dispersal obliges families and friends to travel hundreds of kilometres”.

In addition, the organisation Etxerat gave a press conference to express their anger at Gallizo’s statements “this means we have to continue taking part in a macabre lottery that in 2004 has already produced 73 people injured on the road. Gallizo has in effect said they will continue to pass death sentences on us”. Relatives and friends of Basque prisoners who have had accidents, some of them with visible sequels, took part in the press conference. The Etxerat representatives remembered how it was the PSOE that designed the penitentiary policy whereby there are currently only 11 Basque prisoners out of over 700 who are in jails in the Basque Country.
Telematic control during parole

Manu Azkarate was jailed again last February after 12 years parole or conditional release due to his suffering a serious and incurable illness. This incident was controversial because of the arbitrary assessment of parole criteria made by Central Penitentiary Vigilance Court judge, Javier Gómez Bermúdez. The judge himself decided to concede the third degree to the prisoner in may, acknowledging his poor health condition. Nevertheless, he attempted too impose an unprecedented condition: Manu having to wear a telematic wristband at all times in order to watch him the whole time.

Although the Public Prosecution stated that “this a manifestly and evidently seriously ill person” and the judge himself admitted that “Azkarate was involved in no criminal activities whatsoever during the 12 years under conditional release and, due to his illness, he is hardly dangerous and would have serious difficulties to commit a crime”, the judge insisted on the condition of carrying the electronic waistband or another similar measure. Manu Azkarate rejected the measure “for dignity; I have the right to be released, but not at any price”.

Finally, on June 17, the judge changed his demands and Manu Azkarate was released from Alcalá Meco jail –in Madrid, 500 Km away from the Basque Country- having undertaken the commitment to appear to sign his name every day from Monday to Saturday at the nearest Ertzaintza station.

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The Euro-Order

Speaking of exporting repression against the Basques, here you have another example courtesy of Behatokia's bulletin. Sadly, since the European Union renounced to its principle of being the Europe of the peoples to become the Europe of the mega-states seems like in this case the Spanish State will succeed at expanding its persecution of Basque activists to the whole of Europe:

THREE BASQUE YOUTHS FACED THE EURO-ORDER

A court in Pau refused the extradition request made by the Spanish authorities against three youths from Lapurdi (a Basque province under French administration). Haritza Galarraga, Amaia Rekarte and Yves Machicote, members of the youth organisation SEGI It was included in the European list of terrorist organisations due to Spanish insistence, but carries out completely legal and transparent activities in the French state.

Judge Baltasar Garzón, who made the extradition request, continues in his attempt to extend the criminalisation of Basque social, civil and political organisations to the French state, harassing the public representatives of these organisations. The specific motive for rejecting this extradition request is based upon the fact that some of the crimes they were charged with would have taken place in French territory, so these three people could be tried in the French state, if it came to it.

This is the first time a Euro-order extradition is refused in the French state due to reasons of political persecution. The contradiction that exists in assessing identical events in different ways in Spain or in France due to political interests is evident.

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The Josu Lariz Case

As you may know by now, Spain is trying to export its repressive strategy against the Basque people all over the world. Well, according to this report by Behatokia seems like for once, they've failed:

ARGENTINE JUDGE REFUSES TO EXTRADITE JOSU LARIZ IRIONDO

On 17 June 2004, Federal Judge Claudio Bonadio refused extradition for José Lariz Iriondo, a Basque political exile being held in Argentina. After depositing bail of 10,000 Argentine pesos, Josu regained his freedom provisionally, as there is the possibility that the prosecutor will appeal to the Supreme Court of Justice.

The extradition request made by the Spanish authorities was based upon events that took place at the beginning of the eighties and which, as was proven in the trial had prescribed. Nevertheless, the proceedings turned into a trial of the Spanish state and the lack of guarantees for Basque citizens linked in various ways to the Basque political conflict. The testimonies given by the witnesses for the defence, people with widely acknowledged prestige, were especially relevant. They denounced the conditions in which Basque political prisoners live in Spanish jails, as well as the rights violations being suffered by the Basque people. Among these witnesses, we could underline the Argentine Nobel Peace Prize, Adolfo Pérez Esquivel; the president of the American Jurist Association, Beniusz Smucler; the Chief Editor of Resumen Latinoamericano, Carlos Aznarez; and Herman Schiller, from the Jewish Movement for Human Rights. The UN Special Rapporteur on the Question of Torture sent a letter to the court in order to explain his appraisal of the situation of torture in the Spanish state.

Josu is currently trying to regularise his personal situation in Argentina and to obtain political refuge.

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Committee Against Torture

This information was featured at Behatokia's bulletin:

The new CAT president calls for measures against torture

In one of his first public appearances he expressed his support for the UN Rapporteur Theo Van Boven following his visit to the Spanish state

Fernando Mariño Menéndez, a Law Professor in Public International Law at the Universidad Carlos III in Madrid and the Vice-president of the Federation of Associations for the Defence and Promotion of Human Rights, was appointed president of the UN Committee Against Torture -CAT- on May 3. In one of his first public appearances as the president of the highest international organisation for the prevention of torture, he expressed his support for the UN Rapporteur, Theo Van Boven, following his visit to the Spanish state in October last year, whose presentation during the session of the UN Human Rights Commission in March this year was followed by a bitter controversy due to the Spanish authorities’ belligerent attitude.

Precisely the Spanish Federation of Associations for the Defence and Promotion of Human Rights, an NGO of which the new CAT president is a member, denounced the Spanish authorities’ reaction questioning the credibility of the Rapporteur’s report and denying the events he listed in his report, considering “his recommendations for the prevention of torture and ill treatment to be positive”.

In an interview, Mariño Menéndez underlined the importance of introducing practical and efficient measures to safeguard detainees, such as limiting incommunicado detention, recording interrogation and access to strict medical control conducted by a doctor chosen by the detainee. He also talked of the need for “humanitarian criteria to prevail during incarceration, in terms of the distance between the jails and the prisoner’s families” in reference to the penitentiary policy being applied to Basque prisoners.

Mariño Menéndez was already a CAT member when the November 2001 session, in which the situation of torture in the Spanish state was assessed, took place. Similar recommendations were made in this session. In that case the Spanish expert was unable to actively participate in the session because the regulations prevent experts from taking part in the assessment of their own country.

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AI and Torture

This report comes to us thanks to Behatokia:

Amnesty International annual report and visit to the Spanish state

“I am concerned about the tendency to torture detainees in relation to ETA”

Irene Khan, the president of Amnesty International, recently visited the Spanish state, where she made statements like the one above, which make it quite clear that this organisation does not believe torture has been eradicated in the Spanish state. Both in reference to the annual report and during her visit to the Spanish and Gasteiz parliaments, Khan expressed her concern about the situation of Human Rights in the Spanish state.

Annual report

AI presented their annual report where they include a number of matters for concern. Under the telling headline, “Crisis in the Basque Country” AI lists several incidents that question whether freedom of speech and reunion are a reality in the Basque Country, including the closure of newspapers, banning of political parties, etc. They expressed their concern about the closure of newspapers, as “this very serious measure happens in other countries such as Zimbabwe and Russia”.

AI also referred to the many torture complaints received, especially those made by the staff members of the closed newspaper “Egunkaria”, and stated “the best way to protect the state from false claims is to provide greater guarantees”, and expressed their fears that the reaction by the government, which insists upon denying the existence of torture, “may create a climate of impunity whereby detainees and prisoners are afraid to denounce acts of torture and ill treatment”. They criticised the fact that there have been no moves forward on the issue of torture and remembered the recommendations made by the international organisation CPT, which include putting an end to incommunicado detention and detainees’ right to have contact with a doctor and lawyer of their choice. They also underlined the fact that the government, rather than abolishing incommunicado detention, has actually prolonged its duration.

Visit to the parliament in Gasteiz

The president of AI, Irene Khan, travelled to the Basque Country a few days after presenting the annual report and met with the Regional Parliament Human Rights Commission. There she expressed her concern, saying that “although torture is not systematic, it occurs often enough for authorities to have to take it as a serious problem” and any person’s right to protection from “any abuse of power by either the Basque government or the Spanish one”. The three-party alliance made up of PNV, EA and IU praised Khan’s statements, despite the fact that shortly before, they had voted in parliament to prevent the Ertzaintza having to implement the recommendations made by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Issue of Torture, which include ending the use of incommunicado detention. As to the period of incommunicado detention, Khan stated it “generates an environment that favours torture, or at any rate, increases the possibilities of torture happening and we have established this”. Finally, she stated that “eradicating torture is a matter of political will”.

Criticism of the Spanish government

The new Spanish Minister of the Interior (Home Office Secretary), López Aguilar, declared that “torture complaints are always false, not in most cases; in one hundred percent of the cases” in the presence of Irene Khan, and she answered by saying that “denial feeds the cycle of torture”. During the press conference where she explained the results of her visit, the AI representative stated that “credibility in human rights issues abroad will depend on how the issues are dealt with at home. There should be no imbalances between what is said abroad and what is done at home”. With regard to López Aguilar’s statements she said that “AI, the UN and the Committee for the Prevention of Torture have all documented serious claims again and again”.

TAT, the Basque organisation against torture also expressed their indignation about the Minister’s statements. According to TAT, “the statements are a clear message to the torturers: carry on regardless, we are here to cover up for you”. They remembered how those in government have always denied the existence of torture and tried to discredit those who have been brave enough to denounce it. They gave examples of people who have denounced having been victims of this terrible practice have been tried, whilst those charged with torture were promoted or given pardons.

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Thursday, July 03, 2003

Berria

On of the events that helped shape what would become the International Basque Organization was the closing of Egunkaria, the only newspaper entirely published in euskara (basque) and the incarceration and torture of ten of the employees last february.

The Spanish regime shut down the newspaper's offices and webpage but the Basque society around the world reacted against this attack on our culture and our language and gladly, Egunkaria is back under a new name. Berria, which in euskara (basque) means both "new" and "the news".

Here is the link to their new webpage:

Berria

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Tuesday, July 01, 2003

IBO Is Launched

Today is a joyus day, for today we officially start the International Basque Organization for Human Rights, go visit the webpage here.

This is just the begining, soon we will be adding more information on it for all of those interested in the defense of civil and human rights in general and about the Basque society longing for self determiantion in particular.

To those of you that signed the petition, thank you so much from the bottom of my heart, you don't know how important that was for me, to those of you that wish to sign it, the direct link is right there, to the left.

A new road opens up in front of me, I am excited and overwhelmed, my mission is to lead a group of Basques in the quest of building bridges between us and other Human Rights organizations and individuals around the world, we need their support and their know-how and we offer to them the will to contribute in anything on our hands to improve the human rights of those who have to face intolerance due to their race, nationality, gender, age or religion.



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