Uria's Ransom

Today at Berria:

Basque Autonomous Community Government regards Uria’s bail figure as “out of all proportion”

Its spokesperson, Miren Azkarate, has expressed “concern” at the fact that the ‘Euskaldunon Egunkaria’ Basque language daily remains closed in the absence of any proof, trial or verdict, and has called for “justice” on behalf of the Basque Government’s council of ministers

Edurne Begiristain – GASTEIZ (Vitoria)

As last Monday was World Press Freedom Day the closing down of Euskaldunon Egunkaria was discussed at yesterday’s meeting of the Basque Autonomous Community Government. Its representative, Miren Azkarate, speaking on behalf of the government of Lehendakari (President) Ibarretxe, denounced the fact that although fourteen months had elapsed since the provisional closing down of Egunkaria, there was, as yet, no trial nor verdict relating to the case. She went on to denounce the fact that Iñaki Uria still remained in custody in connection with the case and described the bail figure (600,000 euros) set for his release on-trial by the 1st Division of the Spanish National Criminal Court as “out of all proportion”. The Basque Government called for “justice” in the Egunkaria case, because among other things a “reasonable” amount of time had passed since the Basque-language medium had been closed.

In a press conference held after Tuesday’s meeting Azkarate read out a statement in Basque and Spanish explaining the government’s position on the Egunkaria case. She
denounced the fact that after a year and two months no proof had been put forward relating to the closing down of the paper, nor had any judicial action been brought. In view of this, the Basque Government was “concerned” that the closing-down constituted a measure “without precedent” in the whole of Europe. “In a democracy it is not usual to close down a medium without any trial at all, yet here we are confronted with a newspaper that has been closed down for fifteen months and a person who is being held in custody,” she said.

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