IBO Protests Extradition

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Next you will find a Press Release by the International Basque Organization for Human Rights.

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IBO Protests the Extradition of the Mexico Six

The International Basque Organization for Human Rights (IBO), is an organization based in Corte Madera (USA), formed by people from numerous countries dedicated to educating the international community about the abuses against the human rights of the Basques in Euskal Herria (the Basque Country) within Spain and France.

On the face of the situation of the six Basque citizens (or Mexicans of Basque background) residing in Mexico for several years, Ernesto ALBERDI, Jon ARTOLA, Axun GORROTXATEGI, Asier ARRONATEGI, Felix GARTZIA and Joseba URKIJO, we wish to make public our opposition to their extradition to the Spanish State, based on the reports of torture in Spain by Amnesty International and the dossier on the same issue by the UN’s Special Rapporteur Theo Van Boven.

If the extradition takes place, Mexico would be placing the physical and psychological integrity of these citizens in harms way, until today their participation on any criminal activity that they are accused of has not been proven, we can even say that the presumption of innocence has been completely disregarded.

During the length of the process, numerous irregularities have been identified, such irregularities blemish the image of the Mexican Government, a government that has been unable to upheld the human rights and civil liberties of the six prisoners that have been jailed at the Reclusorio Norte of Mexico city for over a year.

IBO’s campaign is aimed at reaching out to the international media to make everyone aware of the situation, a situation in which the rights of the Basque citizens are trampled, very similar to the opression that the Basque society is experiencing on an every day basis in Euskal Herria (the Basque Country), where in the last few years we have seen the banning of political parties, the shutting down of media outlets, the arbitrary arrest of common citizens that entail long periods of incommunicado detention which facilitate the practice of torture.

In behalf of the dignified respect of human rights, we issue a call to the Mexican officials to grant the freedom of the six Basque citizens and to deny their extradition request.


International Basque Organization for Human Rights
PO Box 225
Corte Madera, CA 94976
www.euskojustice.org

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