Thursday, August 05, 2004

IBO Protests Extradition

Kaixo!

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

If you find this information useful and you think there is people out there that you know that could benefit from it or help any human rights group on their quest to improve conditions of those who are persecuted around the world, please copy the release and send it out.

Eskerrik asko!


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


.... ... .

Freedom to the Six!

If you wish to show your solidarity to the six Basque political prisoners in Mexico, here is a couple of options:

First you can sign the Petition on Line
here.

Second, you can use the banner at the bottom, hang it at your own site and link it to this
page.

We appreciate your efforts and your support.



Freedom 6 Mexico Posted by Hello
.... ... .

Tuesday, August 03, 2004

Oak of Gernika

I know there is a lot more issues going on, but this photo today just broke my heart.

Here is the explanation to it:

Tree surgeons cut the main trunk of the Oak of Gernika, the symbol of Basque liberties and rights which died last May, in the Basque town of Gernika, August 2 2004. The 146 year-old tree, seriously weakened by the fungus Armillaria Mellea, is thought to have finally been killed by last summer's record temperatures. A replacement, grown from a sapling of the tree, will be planted early next year. Successive Spanish monarchs have traditionally sworn to guarantee ancient Basque laws next to the tree.

It also survived Hitler and Franco's savage bombing of the city, in which almost 2,000 Basques lost their lives.


Oak of Gernika Posted by Hello

.... ... .

Sunday, August 01, 2004

Say What?!?!

You can imagine my surprise tonight when I logged into Yahoo to find this headline at Yahoo News:

Bank Scandal Smears Pinochet Image


I mean, what is there left to smear?

The guy was a brutal and murderous dictator, exactly which image is there left to smear?

If you read the article it says something like Chileans are grateful that although having his hands soaking wet in innocent blood, Pinochet never abused his power to increase his assets.

No one that fancies himself of being a dictator would keep his hands off the money, give me a break, they dedicate their whole tenures to ensure that the filthy rich make more money.

The sad part is, this tells you how much the media sanitizes the "image" of people like Pinochet, or Franco, or Aznar.

If you want to read the whole note go
here.

.... ... .

The Long Road to Freedom


Long Road to Freedom Posted by Hello



The six Basque political prisoners in Mexico announced yesterday on a press conference that they were suspending their hunger strike as a result of the decision of Mexico's Foreign Minister Luis Ernesto Derbez who acting on orders of President Vicente Fox validated the extradition request.

Their defense lawyer Barbara Zamora has presented a recourse against the SRE and its resolution can take several months.

Earlier on a letter that appeared in Mexico's newspaper, former Basque political prisoner Lorenzo Llona Olalde asked from his country men to stop the hunger strike as to avoid the possibility of someone losing his or her life. He reminded the six that "the road to freedom is long, but that without them, there is no road".

Numerous Mexican personalities from multiple walks of life including politicians, jurists, artists and activists have regarded the decision by Luis Ernesto Derbez and Vicente Fox as surrendering Mexico's sovereignty to the designs of a backwards and authoritarian Spanish state, represented by the arrogant and self serving figure of judge Baltasar Garzon.


.... ... .