Anti-Torture Demo

Today at Berria English:

Anti-torture demo organised for February 14

In the last 25 years torture has been “adorned and refined” say those calling the demo, “but it has not disappeared”

Iban Iza – DONOSTIA (San Sebastian)

A group of citizens who have endured torture during the last 25 years have organised a demonstration against it for February 14 in Donostia. In their appearance before the media in Donostia yesterday those calling the demo said they wanted to draw attention to the fact that the practice of torture has not disappeared during the last 25 years.

“They have refined and improved torture, but it has not disappeared; and 25 years later they carry on the same way,” said Maite Golmaio, the mother of Xabier Kalparsoro, who died at the police station of Indautxu, Bilbo in September 1993. Golmaio recalled, “It is 25 years since the Spanish Constitution was passed. 25 years to consolidate a situation of continuity in the Spanish State, 25 years to adorn, refine and improve the torture of the Franco era cells. But we knew that the situation would not be solved,” she went on. “Back in November 1979 the then Spanish Interior Minister Ibañez Freire said that the tortures were lies.” Since then, said Golmaio, the attitude of the Spanish Governments and autonomous administrations towards torture has been “the same”. She explained: “They have aimed to cover up the misery and corruption of their system by means of the courts and by using constitutional anti-terrorist laws, by seeking out obscure places to carry out their savage interrogations, by using nice codes of conduct for police activities. But torture is being committed today with ever increasing impunity.”

.... ... .