Yesterday after reading an article regarding the result of a poll that showed that not only the majority of the Basque youth considers itself, well, surprise suprise, Basque, but that also supports full independence from Spain (and France) we made a comment about how being young and restless can be dangerous if you also happen to be Basque. Well, at the Ógra Shinn Féin blog they have published this note about the visit to Ireland by representatives of the Basque youth group Segi:
As always, we want to thank the solidarity of our Irish friends and their commitment to the defense of the Basque people's human and political rights.
Segi activist speaks out against repression
Emma ClancyRepresentatives from the Basque pro-independence youth organisation Segi visited Belfast from 13-15 November to participate in the Ógra Shinn Féin National Congress.
One of the Segi representatives spoke to An Phoblacht about the criminalisation of the pro-independence movement by the Spanish government; the recent Batasuna call for a democratic resolution to the Basque conflict, and the need to build solidarity between the Basque and Irish movements for independence. (As Segi has been banned by the Spanish government, the representative will remain anonymous.)
“As Ógra Shinn Féin celebrates 100 years of the Irish republican youth movement since the foundation of Na Fianna Éireann, we in Segi are celebrating 30 years since the formation of our predecessor organisation Jarrai,” the Segi representative told An Phoblacht.
“Segi is a revolutionary socialist, feminist, pro-independence youth organisation. We organise young people across the Basque Country in struggles for their rights – for national rights and language and cultural rights, but also to improve their living conditions, housing, and their rights in the workplace or on campus.
“But while we celebrate three decades of struggle for Basque independence and socialism, our movement is coming under increasing repression.”
Segi (formerly Haika) was declared illegal in 2005 by the Audiencia Nacional (National Court, a Diplock-style political court in Madrid).
The court ruled that, while it was an “unauthorised” organisation, it could not be considered “terrorist” because it had no connection to political violence. But in 2007 the Spanish Supreme Court revised the ruling – despite there being no new evidence – and declared Jarrai-Haika-Segi to be a terrorist organisation.
“Now more than 100 of our comrades are in prison,” the Segi woman said.
“Now you can be jailed for eight years simply for membership of our organisation.
“The repression by the Spanish state against the youth movement is not only arrests and imprisonment, although these are its most obvious forms. The criminalisation goes much deeper and broader; it is structural.
“There are continual attacks against youth centres, youth demonstrations and gatherings. They are targeting not just pro-independence activists, but all community activists who provide leadership to strengthen their communities.”
The representative said that this year judgements have begun being handed down by the Spanish courts against Segi activists.
“Many have been held in ‘pre-trial detention’ since 2005 – four years being the maximum amount of time a person can be jailed before trial under Spanish law. The average sentence most young activists are receiving for their political activism is six years in jail,” she said.
“You can see the impact of the criminalisation campaign here in Belfast where Basque youth activist Arturo Beñat Villanueva is fighting extradition to Spain charged with membership of the youth movement.
“Each time a Basque political activist is arrested, the police come in the early hours of the morning and hold the person in incommunicado detention for five days, during which they are interrogated and often tortured.
“In many cases, police have forced the prisoners to sign statements saying they are members of a banned organisation, and judges will use these statements to convict the prisoners, even if is the only ‘proof’ offered by the prosecution.”
The activist said Segi “reaffirms its full support” for the proposal by Batasuna for a democratic resolution to the Basque conflict through a process in which the Basque people’s rights are recognised.
Continues...
As always, we want to thank the solidarity of our Irish friends and their commitment to the defense of the Basque people's human and political rights.
.... ... .
This is an eye-opener indeed. I heard about the arrests on BBC America and of course, all they talked about was that some young members of a "terrorist organization" were arrested. So unfortunately, the rest of the world is left in the dark about the truth of the matter.
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting this.
Thanks for the comment Isabel. It is precisely the treatment that the Basque people get at the main stream media what moves us to keep on publishing this blog, so people around the world get a chance to learn the other side of the story.
ReplyDeleteBest regards.