An Obstacle to Peace

Spanish right wingers will never learn. They rely way to much on authoritarian points of view.

They do not know how to negotiate, they rather repress and criminalize.

They are always crying wolf, knowing all too well that the main media outlets are in the hands of mercenaries whose compromise is with profits, not with telling the story, let alone uncovering the truth.

Since their schemes to derail the peace process have failed so far, the most backwards sectors in Madrid are now sending a strong statement against peace, by following through with their old strategy that consists in jailing any Basque that supports the right of Euskal Herria to its self determination.

As a result of all this, they have decided to put Arnaldo Otegi, the leader of Batasuna, in jail.

Here you have the note by Bloomberg:

Basque Separatist Sentenced for Glorifying Terrorism (Update4)

April 27 (Bloomberg) -- Spain's national court today sentenced the Basque separatist leader Arnaldo Otegi to 15 months in jail for glorifying terrorism, said a court official who declined to be identified.

Otegi, who leads the outlawed political party Batasuna, was convicted for a speech he made at a 2003 rally in honor of ETA member Jose Miguel Benarain, known as "Argala.'' Prosecutor Jesus Santos said he will not call for Otegi to be placed in jail because Otegi may appeal, El Mundo newspaper reported on its Web site.

ETA, which has killed more than 800 people, declared a permanent cease-fire on March 22 opening up the possibility of official peace negotiations with the Spanish government. Otegi, the main public face of extremist Basque nationalism, was due to play a part in those talks, which will probably begin later this year. The U.S. and the European Union both classify ETA as a terrorist organization.

"It's not going to help the peace process,'' Sebastian Balfour, professor of contemporary Spanish studies at the London School of Economics, said.

In the rally, Otegi called on the crowd to give thanks for ETA members "who gave their lives'' for the Basque homeland and to fight against the Spanish state, El Mundo reported.

The Spanish government is working for a permanent solution to the Basque conflict which can balance demands from Basques with the main opposition People's Party insistence that no concessions be made.

Basque People

ETA, whose initials stand for Euskadi ta Askatasuna, or Basque Homeland and Freedom, said it wants the Basque people to have the chance to vote on the future of the region, which straddles the border between northern Spain and southwestern France.

PP leader Mariano Rajoy March 22 demanded that the government keep up the pressure on Basque extremists even after the cease-fire declaration and said that "no political price'' can be paid in exchange for peace. The previous PP government was responsible for making Batasuna illegal in 2003.

"The government has artillery lined up on either flank,'' said Balfour. "They've got Basque nationalists on one side and the PP on the other.''

Basque Nationalist Party Chairman Josu Jon Imaz called on the government to legalize Batasuna in order to help move the peace process forward.

Batasuna

"Batasuna represents a part of Basque society and should be included in the political discussions,'' Imaz said during a debate in Madrid. "The government has important work to do to move beyond a period in which Basque political organizations have been criminalized.''

Imaz's Basque Nationalist Party, which condemns the violent campaign of the separatists, leads the government of Spain's Basque region and saw its own plans for increased autonomy defeated last year.

Otegi is facing a separate investigation over allegations that he incited 108 acts of violence that occurred during a March 9 strike in the Basque region called to protest at the deaths of two ETA members held in Spanish jails. He may also be charged with membership of a terrorist organization.

Pernando Barrena, a Batasuna spokesman, said March 22 the government should ease pressure on Basque groups to help the negotiating process.

"The government has the opportunity to create a democratic scenario and so they should deactivate all repressive measures restricting political activity,'' he said.

A Batasuna spokesman who didn't want to be identified declined to comment on Otegi's sentencing.

To contact the reporter on this story:

Ben Sills in Madrid at bsills@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: April 27, 2006 11:47 EDT

This is the international media reaction to the jailing of Otegi:

Belfast Telegraph: Basque leader is jailed for praising former head of ETA

CNews: Prominent Basque politician jailed 15 months; Spain says he praised terrorism

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