Echoes of Hillel Halkin

Seems like the scathing article by Israeli journalist Hillel Halkin is resounding all over the place, now you can hear echoes of it all the way to Montana.

Sadly, at this time the name of the author of the article titled "A Homeland for the Palestinians? Why They? How About All Those Others?" is lost. However, I will be contacting the Montana News and try to find out who she or he is so I can post it here.

Now, there is quite a few things that I do not agree with, but all in all, this should have Aznar, the Barcepundit, the Intelligencer and quite a few others shaking in their boots.

Here you have what the author says about the Basques:

How about other nationalities that yearn for a homeland, for their own state? There are first of all the Basques, the vast majority of whom live in the northwestern region of Spain. They are a unique people, with a language and a culture that has no relationship to anything else in the world. They have been fighting to become liberated. But Spain – most vociferous in the promotion of a “Palestinian homeland” – refuses that. An independent Basque homeland would not endanger Spain in any way. But does the world, does the UN support the Basques in their quest for independence? Of course not!

And:

Both the world and especially the Europeans don’t really care about self-determination – they don’t lose any sleep over the Basques, the Kurds, the Tibetans or others who yearn for a homeland. They care about their own political and economic interests, which they cloak in the language of political morality.

Now, since the whole thing about Taiwan is warming up to a boil, how 'bout this:

And then there are the Tibetans. They are a distinct people, unique in language and religion. They have been annexed by China, which has flooded the country with its “settlers.” The Chinese are fully in the process of making Tibet into an integral part of China. Clearly, an independent Tibet would not be any existential threat to China. But does the world, does the UN support the Tibetans in their quest for independence? Of course not!

One more thing, while Yahooing "Hillel Halkin" and "Basque" I found out that there is an Israeli that doesn't really like him, at his blog Israpundint (not really working at present, better if you read the "cached" option) he published a post attacking Hillel in which he defends the Basques!

Here you go:

Then Halkin proceeds to destroy his own case by admitting Israel cannot arrive at a peaceful settlement with the Palestinian Arabs. He goes even further and legitimately questions the recently created Palestinian people's right to a state. Halkin ticks off a whole list of far larger and more deserving minority groups in much larger areas, that have no such rights ­ The Chaldeans, Kurds, Chechnyans, Ibo of Nigeria, the Basques of Spain, Uighurs, Karens, Mizos, Nagos, etc. ­ peoples of whom most of us have no knowledge whatever.

Meaning, both sides in Israel understand the need for a Basque Homeland.

Great!

You can read the whole article here.

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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

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Berria Echoes IBO Campaign

The Basque newspaper Berria echoes the campaign by the International Basque Organization for Human Rights asking the Georgetown University to consider not hiring former Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar as a lecturer for the upcoming fall.

Here is the note, and its version in Euskara:

IBO launches campaign opposing hiring of Aznar as Georgetown lecturer

The association of the Basque diaspora has urged people to write to the University's president

I. Murua-Uria - DONOSTIA (San Sebastian)

The IBO (International Basque Organization for Human Rights) has called on people to write to Georgetown University (Washington, DC) to urge it not to hire Jose Maria Aznar, the former Spanish Head of Government, as a guest lecturer at the university, "because he has been responsible for many human and civil rights violations in the Basque region".

The IBO was set up in the United States in the wake of the closing down of Egunkaria to express international denunciation of human rights violations against Basque citizens. When John Kerry, the Democrat candidate for the United States' presidency, made declarations linking Basque citizens "to terrorism", the organisation launched a letter campaign to ask him to correct what he had said. In the end Kerry issued a rectification and an apology.

During the 2004 academic year Jose Maria Aznar will be lecturing on European politics and transatlantic relations in the Edmund A. Walsh Foreign Faculty of Georgetown University, as a guest lecturer, in the Global Leadership Institute. In January of last year while he was Prime Minister, he was awarded the University's Gold Medal of Honour. Georgetown is a Jesuit institution, the oldest of the Catholic universities of the United States.

The IBO has written at length to John DeGioia, the University's President, giving details of violations of Basque citizens' rights in many spheres; these were carried out by the Spanish Government while Aznar was in charge. It has also included a shorter letter on its web site (www.euskojustice.org) and has urged as many people as possible to send it to the University's president. Those who sign the letter point out to the university that while Aznar was in power "the human and civil rights of Basque citizens" were violated. In the longer letter the IBO informs the University President that while Aznar was prime minister Egunkaria was closed down "on a false basis", that the people arrested in the case were tortured and that the UN's Rapporteur against Torture, Theo van Boven, has lent credibility to these torture complaints.

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Press Release

Six months ago IBO sent out this press release about the arrest of Basque journalist and politician Xarlo Etxezaharetta: Basque Journalist Snatched Off The Street. Here is a little update.

Yesterday, the Audencia Nacional decreed that Xarlo and three other members of the political federation Udalbiltza, Loren Arkotxa, Miren Josu Aranburu and Imanol Esnaola, will be released from prison upon posting bail. We are extremely happy that these men and women will finally be released from prison and we fully expect that they will be found innocent of charges when their trials do come up in the next year or so. The question is, why did it take six months and more for these people to be released from prison? Maybe now that actual ETA members are being captured, the authorities decided to release some of the innocent prisoners? Maybe under the new government, the authorities are trying to send a message that they can be a little more reasonable? Who knows...this is all conjecture.

I would also like to remind you of the tragic case of Ainara Gorostiaga who was just released from prison this past week after serving 2 years for a crime she did not commit. For two years she proclaimed her innocence and declared that her confessions and testimony given against several other people were tortured out of her. For two years the authorities ignored her pleas, claiming she was just following the ETA handbook by claiming torture. Then, a real member of ETA, Ibon Fernandez-Irati, was captured and in his papers were the accounts of the killing that Ainara was accused of, accounts which proved her innocence and the innocence of those she implicated under torture. Ainara was immediately set free.

http://www.berria.info/english/ikusi.php?id=369

You would think that the human rights organizations in Spain would be outraged. There has been no comment. You would think that a story like this would be front page news. Spanish newspapers have not carried the story; only Basque newspapers.

Perhaps an American newspaper will do what the Spanish papers won't?

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IBO : Unfair Jail Time

The International Basque Organization for Human Rights has issued a new press release:

Basques Imprisoned For 2 Years For Crimes They Did Not Commit

How many more stories such as this will have to be repeated before the international community understands that there are serious problems in Spain regarding false accusations of terrorism directed towards Basques? Over and over it happens - anyone with any of the same goals as ETA can and are considered accessories to ETA, or apologists for terrorism. When we talk about the same goals as ETA, we are not referring to violence; we are talking about the non-violent political and cultural goals that many Basques have in order to ensure the survival of their culture. Supporting political parties that advocate self-determination. Supporting Basque history and language in schools.

Supporting Basque language newspapers and radio stations and Basque language cinema and rock and roll. All these actions come under suspicion. The Basques in this news story reported being tortured before the judge, several years back. The judge not surprisingly, discounted their stories. Now that they have been found innocent, will anybody listen? Does it even matter whether or not they were innocent or guilty of crimes? Is it right to torture people to secure confessions? In Spain, it seems to be, even if the confessions given turn out to be false, as in the case documented here. How many other false confessions have been tortured out of suspected Basque "terrorists", one has to wonder?

The Basques are crying out to the international community for help. Who will respond?

*/This campaign is based solely on word of mouth. It is CRUCIAL that you tell others. Please pass this e-mail on to anyone you think may be interested/.*

For more information, please contact:

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

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IBO: Angel Berroeta

More information generated by IBO:

Press Release
March 14, 2004
International Basque Organization For Human Rights

A Basque man, Angel Berroeta of Pamplona, was killed today by a Spanish National Police officer after he refused to put up a sign in his bakery condemning ETA. The police officer's wife had come to the bakery and demanded that Berroeta place the sign in his shop. He refused, telling her to "place it in your own residence". The woman went home and told her husband who then went to the bakery, angrily confronted Angel, and then shot him four times.

Angry neighbors of Berroeta gathered outside his bakery, and hung Ikurrinas (Basque flags) adorned with black ribbons. Over the past several days, black ribbons have been placed everywhere in honor of those killed in the attacks of Madrid. After the flags were hung, the police who had gathered at the scene violently charged the crowd of neighbors and ripped the flags down.

After 9/11, the leaders of the U.S. specifically called upon citizens to be calm and not scapegoat people of the Islamic faith. The Prime Minister of Spain has yet to make any similar request of his people in regards to Basques and members of Islam. On the contrary, Aznar has called for demonstrations behind the motto "With the victims, with the Constitution, by the defeat of the terrorism." The inclusion of the Constitution in this motto is clearly in reference to the proposal being made by Basque politicians for a new political relationship with Spain. Spanish government officials have repeatedly stated that they could never accept this proposal because it would change the Constitution. Aznar purposefully included this political reference, during one of Spain's most painful and sorrowful moments, in order to tar and feather Basques and their political aspirations as terrorist.

International Basque Organization For Human Rights
PO Box 225
Corte Madera, CA 94976
1 415 924-2151
www.euskojustice.org

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IBO: Spanish Embassies Lied

This just in:

PRESS RELEASE
March 14, 2004
International Basque Organization For Human Rights

Spain's Foreign Minister Ana Palacio ordered all Spanish embassies around the world to blame the Madrid attacks on ETA. This has been done even though an Al Qaeda group has claimed responsibility, ETA has denied involvement, and the explosives used were of a kind NOT usually used by ETA (contrary to what has been reported in the western media).

Just a few weeks ago, Ms. Palacio made a statement to the magazine "National Review Online" :

"The problem of the Basques, she says, is nothing less than the problem of freedom: Half the population lives under threat of terror from the other half, and what kind of life is that?"

According to Foreign Minister Palacio, ETA is guilty before the proof is in, and half the Basque population are terrorists. This is what the current Spanish government wants the rest of the world to believe. When will the United States and others wake up to what is REALLY going on in Spain regarding the Basque region? Basques abhor violence and want to see the perpetrators of this most recent horrific attack caught and punished quickly. What we are seeing instead, are Basques being scapegoated by the Spanish government. They blame not just ETA, but anyone who has "nationalist" beliefs; anyone who supports the non-violent road to Basque self-determination and anyone who dares to speak out about human and civil rights abuses occuring against Basques. Just look at the signs that the PP government requested people to demonstrate under. They read "With the victims, with the Constitution, by the defeat of the terrorism." Solidarity with victims, YES, of course! Defeat of terrorism, YES! However, the phrase "with the constitution" is a direct reference to Basque leader Ibarretxe's proposal for a new relationship with Spain, something the Spanish government says is impossible because it would be necessary to change their constitution. The PP is using this horrible tragedy for political purposes - Cry for the victims and pledge to uphold the Constitution against those Basques!

There is also the issue of Spain's general election being held this Sunday. If the ruling party, PP, keeps blaming ETA, they are bound to get more votes because they are tough on terrorism. If Al Qaeda is brought into the picture, the PP will lose votes, due to the fact that the attack would have been a direct result of Jose Marie Aznar aligning Spain with the U.S. and Britain for the war against Iraq, against the wishes of 90% of his country.

Hmmmm...


International Basque Organization For Human Rights
PO Box 225
Corte Madera, CA 94976
1 415 924-2151
www.euskojustice.org

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IBO: Kerry Must Apologize

Today at Berria English:

IBOHR demands apology from Kerry for calling Basques “terrorists”

Bieter says he hopes Kerry will change his attitude when he gets to know the Basques

Ainara Mendiola, Special Correspondent, Boise (Idaho)

The International Basque Organization for Human Rights (IBOHR) has asked John Kerry to rectify what he said when he equated the Basques with “terrorists” during a rally. Kerry is currently the strongest Democrat candidate for the presidential elections set to take place in the United States in November.

Kerry spoke about “terrorism” in a rally he held on January 31 in Oklahoma. He said before September 11, 2001, many states had been facing “terrorism at home”, and when citing some examples he gave the following: “In Ireland they had the IRA, in Spain they have the Basques, in India the Sikhs… you only have to look around the world a bit to realise that there are many people who live with terrorism.”

When the IBOHR heard these declarations, they asked Kerry to rectify them. According to the statement they issued, Kerry rightly identified the IRA in Ireland’s case, because he did not regard all the Irish as “terrorists”, but that was not the case when he spoke of the Basques or the Sikhs. The IBOHR has pointed out that its aim is not to damage Kerry’s image, but wishes to remind him that it is “wrong and unfair to generalise and regard a whole country and its culture as terrorist.” As a result of this, the IBOHR has launched a campaign to get Kerry to apologise; it has in fact asked people to send messages to the Democrat candidate’s e-mail address asking him to rectify what he said. The address is: info@johnkerry.com. After denouncing Kerry’s declarations many Sikh groups also launched a campaign and the senator apologised to them in a speech he gave last Friday.

Dave Bieter, the mayor of Boise, said he hoped Kerry would have the chance to get to know the Basque Country and the Basque community better. He made these declarations in Boise to BERRIA.

Bieter was elected mayor of Boise last year and until last year had been a Democrat member in the Idaho House of Representatives. Kerry has not yet been to Idaho in his American presidential election campaign, but Bieter hopes he will have changed his attitude by the time he gets there. He admits that he gets on well with Kerry, and if the latter were to reach the White House, Bieter believes Kerry would have a positive attitude towards the Basque Country.

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IBO to John Kerry

This is the text of the email that the International Basque Organization for Human Rights is sending to everyone interested on showing support to the Basques' campaign to educate John Kerry about the difference between belonging to an ethnic group and being labeled as a terrorist just because you belong to a certain ethnic group:

Hello everyone,

On January 31st, Senator John Kerry made a campaign speech in Oklahoma City. Many issues were covered, including a question on fighting terrorism. The question asked was "If other countries have faced or face terrorism at home, why do we ask our soldiers to face it for us?" Senator Kerry began his response by stating "Most countries have faced terrorism at home through their histories. You look at Ireland, the IRA, England, IRA, you look at the Basques in Spain, the Sikhs in India, you can run around the world and people have lived with terrorism for a long time".

Kerry correctly identified the IRA, rather than labeling all Irish as terrorists, yet the Basques and the Sikhs were not so lucky.

The Sikh community rallied together and complained about the unfair portrayal of their community. On February 6th, Senator Kerry issued an official apology for his comments about Sikhs. No such apology has been issued to the Basques.

Please send an e-mail to Senator Kerry's campaign headquarters to let them know your feelings about this innacurate generalization of Basques as terrorists.

Please note that this is not being done to hurt John Kerry, but rather to remind him and his campaign staff about the dangers of labeling whole cultures as terrorist.

Senator Kerry's e-mail: info@johnkerry.com

John Kerry for President, Inc.
519 C Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002
202-548-6800
202-548-6801 (fax)

Please pass this e-mail on to anyone else you think may be interested in voicing their opinion.

Thank you,

International Basque Organization For Human Rights
PO Box 225
Corte Madera, CA 94976
415 924-2151
www.euskojustice.org

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Berria, IBO and Kerry

Today at Berria they mention the International Basque Organization's campaign to educate presidential hopeful John Kerry about how unfair it is to typecast a whole culture as terrorist:

The note is in Euskara but you can get an idea.

AEBETAKO HAUTESKUNDEAK

Euskaldunak "terroristekin" parekatu ditu John Kerry hautagai demokratak

IBOHR erakundea barkamena eska dezan kanpaina egiten ari da

AEBetako lehendakarigai demokrata izateko ahaleginean dabilen John Kerry senatore demokratak euskaldunak "terroristekin" parekatu zituen urtarrilaren 31an Oklahoman egin zuen hitzaldian. Terrorismoari buruz galdetu zioten Kerryri, eta erantzun zuen, munduan bazirela hainbat herrialde urteetan "terrorismoarekin" bizi behar izan zutenak. Hala, Irlanda eta Erresuma Batua aipatu zituen "IRAren terrorismoa" aipatuz, eta, halaber, India eta Espainia, hurrenez hurren, "sikhen eta euskaldunen terrorismoa" nabarmenduz. Irlanda eta Erresuma Batuko kasuan, IRAren izen zehatza aipatu zuen; Espainiari eta Indiari buruz aritzean, ordea, "euskaldunak" eta "sikhak", guztiak, "terrorismoaren" zakuan sartu zituen. Hori dela eta, IBOHR Giza Eskubideen aldeko Naziorteko Euskal Erakundeak kanpaina hasi du Kerryk barkamena eska dezan.

Sikhek dagoeneko egin dute kanpaina hori, hau da, herri gisa "terrorismoarekin" parekatu izana salatzeko. Zehazki, otsailaren 6an barkamena eskatu zuen ofizialki Kerry hautagaiak.

IBOHR erakundeak, euskaldunekin gauza bera egitea nahi du, eta, ondorioz, lehendakarigaitarako hautagai demokratak akatsa zuzen dezan eskatzeko kanpaina jarri dute martxan. Zehazki, Kerry senatorearen kanpaina arduradunei posta elektroniko bidez mezuak bidaltzeko eskatu du talde horrek. Honakoa da helbidea: info@johnkerry.com.

Bestalde, Maine estatuko batzar demokratan, caucus -ean, Kerry izan da irabazle, eta, ondorioz, azaroan Alderdi Demokratako lehendakarigaia izateko bidean sendotzen ari da.

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Kerry, Sikhs and Basques

This is the article that disclosed the information about Kerry's blanket statement while campaigning in Oklahoma (came to IBO members as courtesy of Google News Alert):

Hindustan Times


Sikhs in US demand apology from Senator Kerry

S Rajagopalan
Washington, February 6

Democratic front-runner John Kerry has raised the hackles of the Sikhs in the US with an off-the-cuff remark against the community while holding forth on the issue of terrorism.

A number of Sikh groups have demanded that Senator Kerry tender an apology and retract his remarks that tended to equate the whole community of Sikhs with the likes of IRA in Northern Ireland and the Basque separatists in Spain.

Kerry, speaking in Oklahoma during his recent campaign run, made the point that terrorism did not begin with September 11, 2001. Thereafter, the Sikh groups point out, he went on to give examples of Northern Ireland, the Basque separatists in Spain and "the Sikhs in India".

"This is deeply disturbing and has cast aspersions on the whole Sikh community," Dr Rajwant Singh of the Sikh Council told the Hindustan Times. He pointed out that the Massachusetts Senator has singled out the Sikh faith, while the others had been identified as ethnic groups.

The Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Taskforce (SMART) has written to Kerry and is awaited word from him. Singh said: "We have sought a personal meeting with him. He can't brand the entire community. He has got to retract his remarks." As a presidential candidate, he needs to be better educated about the Sikhs and their faith, another community leader said.

In its letter to Kerry, SMART noted: "Based on your response, which was broadcast on C-SPAN and other news outlets, all adherents of the Sikh faith can be interpreted as condoning or being associated with terrorism."

"Your Congressional staff has long worked with SMART on workplace discrimination and hate crimes issues, and we are confident that it was not your intent to single out adherents of the Sikh faith as terrorists," it said.

There is an undercurrent of fear among the Sikhs that ill-considered statements of the type from top political leaders could exacerbate the racial profiling that community members have been subjected to after 9/11.

If you want to learn more about the Sikhs, visit the website of SMART, the Sikh advocacy group demanding the apology from Kerry.

And if you want to listen to Kerry making the statement, here you can find it:

Your best way to know what he said is to hear/view the video recording of the speech, carried by C-Span TV.

You can find the speech at this web page:

rtsp://video.c-span.org/project/c04/c04020104_kerry.rm and forward to 31:30 (NOTE: This requires RealPlayer software application, available for free at http://www.real.com/).

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Freemuse and IBO

The International Basque Organization has issued a press release in defense of the Basque artists being persecuted by the Spanish Government, fake human rights organizations and far-right fascist groups. It appeared at the Freemuse site.

You can go and visit Freemuse, you will find the press release at the "News" section. To make it easier for you I also post the article hear, hopefully Freemuse will print it on their newsletter.

SPAIN

CASES/NEWS

CENSORSHIP IN SPAIN

Article from International Basque Organization For Human Rights
January 2004

"When we think of musical censorship in these modern times, it is usually totalitarian governments that come to mind as the instigators. Censorship of music and film rarely occurs in modern day Europe, right? Wrong. It is alive and well in Spain. Not since the days of the Franco dictatorship have Basque musicians, filmmakers and media been subjected to such censorship.

Censorship of Basque musicians has occurred infrequently over the past ten years or so. One well-known case was against the rock group Negu Gorriak, who performed a song called "Ustelkeria" (Corruption). This song was about the accusation of the then chief of police of San Sebastian being involved with drug smuggling. The band members were prosecuted for this song and made to pay 15 million pesetas. The chief of police was subsequently found to be guilty of the drug charges. 8 years later, Negu Gorriak was declared innocent of their previous charges.

Over the past two years, censorship of Basque musicians in Spain has steadily increased. Groups such as Association for the Victims of Terrorism, a human rights group that receives grants from various ministries of the Spanish government, and the ultra-right wing group Espana2000 campaign relentlessly to cancel concerts. These groups use lawsuits and threats of uncontrollable demonstrations to forcefully pressure venue operators to cancel shows. Local government officials of Spain's Popular Party have jumped into the fray, taking it upon themselves to call for concert cancellations in their own towns.

The reasons given for censorship by the AVT are that "many of these words humiliate the victims". The AVT also takes issue with the bands using the term "political prisoner" in their songs, saying, "The only thing we are trying to point out is that freedom of expression has a limit". Some of the lines that the AVT takes offense with are:

"We close Egin with this system, Una, Grande y Libre. The police and all that crap are the cancer of this #$@% nation." - Berri Txarrak

"Like every week, she looks in the mailbox for a card from her son who is a prisoner in Spain, but instead she receives a cold call 'your son is dead with a rope around his neck' - Berri Txarrak from the song "Nation of Open Wounds"

The most recent bands to have their concerts cancelled due pressure by AVT, Espana2000 and the Spanish government's Popular Party are Su Ta Gar, Sociedad Alcoholico, Fermin Muguruza and Manu Chao, Berri Txarrak and Leihotikan.

Fermin has even been taken to court by AVT who claim that one of his most well known songs, "Sarri, Sarri" is pro-ETA and therefore illegal. This song has been performed for nineteen years, and tells about one of the Basque Country's most famous poets, Joseba Sarrionandia. Sarrionandia was in prison, accused of being a member of ETA, when he and a fellow prisoner escaped in the large speakers of a group who had just given a concert at the prison.

Berri Txarrak and Leihotikans latest concerts were cancelled in Madrid and Valencia, with the Madrid venue's proprietor stating"Due to the rarified situation created by the recent campaign of right extremist groups and various mass media against the Berri Txarrak and Leihotikan concert planned for January 10, 2004 in Madrid, and due to their arguments that the public, the artists and the organizers may be in physical danger, the people in charge of the Caracol Room have decided to cancel this musical concert. The group laments the situation that has been created, and hopes to offer its music soon to the Madrid public."

It is not just musicians being censored. Two of the directors of EITB, the Basque regional television station, are being charged as accessories to terrorism. The station aired a videotaped interview of two ETA members making a statement. There are also the cases of Basque language newspapers and radio stations being shut down, charged with aiding terrorists, then years later the cases being dropped. Too late for these media outlets; they are closed.

There was also the case of the documentary, The Basque Ball, Skin Against Stone. This documentary was created by one of Spain's most famous directors, Julio Medem, who is originally from the Basque Region. This documentary attempts to show the problems of the Basque conflict from all points of view and tries to find ways of reaching a middle ground. It debuted at the San Sebastian Film Festival amid much anticipation, and also howls of protest from the government of Spain and AVT. The Minister of Culture, Pilar Del Castillo, suggested that the film festival drop the documentary. This did not happen and the film opened to wide acclaim. Soon after, the documentary appeared at the London Film Festival. Representatives from the Spanish Embassy asked that the film be dropped from the festival. When the organizers refused, the Spanish government withdrew their traditional stipend that is given for the expenses of Spanish festival participants.

This is a dangerous road being traveled down in Europe. Whether or not one agrees with the message, in a democracy, all are supposed to have the right to be heard without the threat of violence and censorship. This is part of the duties of a democratic government."

For more info: www.euskojustice.org

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IBO : Due Process

Here you have a press release by the International Basque Organization for Human Rights regarding the shady process endured by the six Basque refugees in Mexico:

Why are Basques not receiving Due Process in Mexican Courts?

The International Basque Organization For Human Rights calls upon Mexican authorities, and the Mexican Attorney General, to refuse extradition of six Mexican Basques to Spain and to provide the six legal counsel and a full and fair opportunity in a public proceeding to present testimony and evidence in opposition to the extradition requests by the country of Spain. The traditional due process standards for international judicial proceedings adhered to by the rest of the free world must be followed in these cases and the six must be allowed to present any and all defenses they may have to extradition with the assistance of counsel competent in international law.

These six, José María Urquijo Borde, Ernesto Alberdi Alejalde, Asier Arronategi Duralde, Félix Salustiano García, Juan Artola Díaz y María Asunción Gorrotxategi,have been accused by Spanish judge Baltasar Garzon of being a part of ETA. Garzon claims they were laundering cash and that some of the accused had incriminating videotapes and computer documents in their homes. Attorneys for the defendants claim these charges are ludicrous, that, in fact, the incriminating tape was a documentary about the Basque Country, and money laundering charges stem from relatives wiring funds to each other after the sale of personal property. In fact, one of the accused had been wiring funds to the Basque Country because he and his family were preparing to move back, and had even purchased their airline tickets.

Mexican law places the burden of showing sufficient cause to extradite the accused squarely upon the party or parties seeking extradition. Yet, none of the evidence supposedly gathered against the accused has been shown in court. Under these circumstances, the extradition requests cannot be granted pursuant to Mexican law. In spite of all this, Garzon is pushing hard for Mexico to extradite the accused to Spain.

Why this sudden, hard push for Mexico to send Mexican-Basques back to Spain, after having lived, worked and raised families for years, decades even? Many human rights organizations such as the Mexican group "Fideicomiso para la Infancia " claim that these prisoners are being used as currency. In other words, if Mexico likes doing
business with Spain, they had better do what Spain wants. After Spain and Mexico crafted their extradition treaty, Mexican-Basque refugees were quickly charged with terrorism by Spain, and their extraditions were requested. At the same time, Spanish business increased within Mexico.

In one recent extradition case, the accused, Lorenzo Llona, spent months in prison awaiting extradition to Spain on 20 year old charges, before his lawyers proved that he had actually been sitting in a Mexican government office processing legal paperwork the very same day that Spanish authorities accused him of committing a terrorist act. Even so, Spain continued the extradition request, until Mexican authorities freed Llona with no charges.

On top of the total outrageousness of the extradition process is the disturbing fact that if these accused are extradited to Spain, they will be taken to the Guardia Civil headquarters in Madrid and will be held incommunicado for 5 days. No lawyers, no access to the outside world and access to court-appointed physicians only, who indeed, are a part of the system. Many prisoners in Spain held under these conditions routinely complain of torture. Human rights organizations world-wide, such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and European Committee for the Prevention of Torture have complained about torture in Spain and the conditions which lead to it.

It would seem for the best, given these facts, for the six accused to remain in Mexico until the charges are sorted out. They are certainly entitled to no less due process than the former U.S. Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, enjoyed when Garzon attempted to subject Kissinger to the jurisdiction of the Spanish courts to depose him concerning crimes in South America. Perhaps for political reasons, that ill-advised attempt by Garzon utterly failed.

IBO urges readers to voice their concerns about the Mexican extradition process to:

Ambassador Juan José Bremer
Embassy of Mexico in the United States
1911 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20006
Fax: (202) 728-1615

and

Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
1889 F St., NW, Washington, D.C., USA 20006.
Telephone: (202)458-6002
Fax: (202)458-3992.

For more information, please contact:

International Basque Organization For Human Rights
P.O. Box 225
Corte Madera, CA 94976
www.euskojustice.org

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IBO : Basque Refugees in Mexico

I take this opportunity to present to you a statement made by the International Basque Organization for Human Rights regarding the situation of the six Basque political refugees being held captive in Mexico over some peregrine accusations by the Spanish government:

STATEMENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL BASQUE ORGANIZATION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS ON THE MEXICAN POLICIES REGARDING BASQUE POLITICAL REFUGEES

In a general context of ideological persecution in the Basque Country, alarming irregularities have been occurring during several years on the part of the Mexican government, regarding the Basque political refugees who live there.

IBO is an organization created by Basques of the diaspora, in reaction to the constant violations of human rights of the Basques. We have decided to make an analysis of the specific situation in Mexico, using four different examples. (See http://www.euskojustice.org/Articulos.htm)

We ask for the worldwide support of all the Basque Diaspora for our Basque-Mexican collegues. As in Euskal Herria, the irrational persecution against nationalism ideology is having such an effect that even people without involvement in politics are suffering the retaliations. During the last years, dozens of Basque political refugees have been handed to the Spanish government without the established procedures being followed, and avoiding the respect for their rights. If interested, please refer to dossier in www.euskojustice.org

We are also extremely worried about the safety of the Mexican citizens who are in solidarity with the attacked collective. The charges of "collaboration with terrorism" are being applied arbitrarily to the general group of refugees and its acquaintances. Even the programs of assistance to immigrants, whether refugees or not, given by Centros Vascos (Basque Centers) have suffered damage to their reputation, by media campaigns, and the presence of members of the Spanish police who unlawfully participate in harassment actions like detentions, interrogations executed by the Mexican police. The concern other human rights organizations have expressed about the situation of such rights in Mexico make us express in even in a stronger manner our plea for the help of the entire world to protect and to actively survey the Basque refugees in Mexico and the Mexicans who support them.

We must pinpoint the cases of Arronategi, Artola, Gorrotxategi, Garcia, Urkijo and Alberdi. All of them are imprisoned under different excuses, waiting for a decision about their extradition. The arbitrariness of the measures taken against them and the record of similar cases lead us to suspect that their extradition can be used by the Mexican government to obtain political or economical favors from Spain. They were arrested without warrant, with ridiculous accusations (manufacture of chemical weapons, laughable bank transactions...), and their houses were raided and inspected without proper authorization. Their cases are loaded with irregularities that are being argued with complete attention by the Mexican society, affected before an attitude of the Mexican judiciary that is causing an enormous damage to their own legal rights. We can not forget the ludicrous case of Lorenzo Llona, who after being "strongly requested" to act as an informant of the Spanish police in Mexico, and refusing to do so, was incarcerated under the charge of participation in a violent killing in the Basque Country in 1981 (which occurred exactly the same day he was in Mexico City, working on his papers to obtain his resident visa). In despite of having real and valid proof of that, Llona has been withheld in jail for the last five months waiting for a possible extradition to Spain. Fortunately, he was freed a few days ago, in part due to the social and political pressure of certain Mexican politicians, and also after completing a hunger strike which damaged his health permanently.

In the case that the detained Basque refugees are extradited, they could end up in the hands of the Spanish Security Forces, who are well known (by Amnesty International, among others) of practicing torture on Basque prisoners. On March 6th, 1986, Mexico signed the Convention Against Torture, which states in article 3: "No one State will proceed in the extradition, returning or ejection of persons when there are solid reasons to believe they are in jeopardy of being tortured". In such a case, of Mexico giving in to the pressures of the Spanish government, our countrymen and countrywomen will suffer most probably the same fate of Begonia Sanchez, Vicente Sagredo, Koldo Dominguez, Jesus Mari Gonzalez, Josu Larrea, Santiago Izpura... and others who have denounced being tortured by the police before being submitted to the judiciary authorities.

There is also the probability of facing what is call "penas de banquillo" (bench punishment) which is an immoral practice used quite often by the Security Forces and the Spanish Exception Tribunals (in charge of political offenses and whose partiality and fairness have been questioned by several law experts), as well as the Basque Autonomous Police. This paralegal punishment consists of building cases without any existing basis, in such a way that when they arrive in court, the accused is absolved or the case is dismissed. This process (temporary imprisonment, sometimes for years, payment of astronomical bails, police booking, damage to personal reputation...)becomes a very compelling tool of pressure to threaten anybody who does not want to "collaborate with the police", therefore, the Security Forces do not hesitate to apply such punishment against citizens.

The intention of IBO is to keep an eye on Mexico, permanently. We will proceed to spread this situation among the international media and also among organizations focused on the defense of human rights. We request to the Mexican government to honor its historical, long standing tradition to receive people who are being pursued because of their political beliefs, without yielding to the pressures of the Spanish government. We want to encourage the mobilization of over four million Basque descendants worldwide to demand the end of injustice being applied to Arronategi, Artola, Gorrotxategi, Garcia, Urkijo and Alberdi.

For more information contact:

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

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IBO : Spain Censors Basque Film

As you know by now, the Spanish government led by Aznar has launched a campaign against a documentary by film maker Julio Medem as part of a broader campaign against the freedom of speech of the Basque people, a campaign that also includes direct attacks on Basque cultural organizations.

Here you have a press release by International Basque Organization for Human Rights (IBO) regarding this issue:

Spanish Government Tries To Censor Film In London

El Correo Digital reports that the Spanish Embassy in England asked for the producers of the London Film Festival to withdraw a movie from their line-up. This movie, La Pelota Vasca, La Piel Contra La Piedra (Basque Ball, Skin Against Stone) tells the tale of the current Basque conflict, from all sides of the equation. It’s director, Julio Medem, wanted to give a fair representation of the political and social strife of the Basque region. Spanish officials seem to want nothing to do with such a concept. Spain’s Minister of Culture condemned the film without even seeing it.

The London Film Festival has refused to withdraw the movie. The consequence is that Spain has pulled its traditional subsidy to the festival, which is used to pay the expenses of Spanish participants. La Pelota Vasca is scheduled to play at the London Film Festival October 26 and 27.

For more information:

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

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IBO : Spanish Nationalism Against Basque Culture

A press release by the International Basque Organization for Human Rights regarding the attack on the Martin Ugalde Culture Park:

SPANISH NATIONALISTS LASH OUT AT BASQUE CULTURE MOVEMENT, USES TERRORISM AS EXCUSE

This past Thursday, Spanish police raided the offices of the Martin Ugalde Culture Park. This is an office complex, which houses dozens of businesses connected to Basque Culture and is in the center of the push during the last fifteen years to re-integrate the Basque language into Basque society. These businesses are comprised of publishing houses, graphic designers, merchandising and distribution offices and other similar enterprises.

Spanish authorities claim it was done as part of the investigation into the Basque language newspaper, Egunkaria. If you recall, this newspaper was ordered shut down 8 months ago by the Spanish courts after several of it's directors, staff, and others were accused of being a part of the armed group ETA. To this day, three people associated with this case remain in prison with no charges yet filed against them and no concrete evidence being shown as to their guilt.

Just yesterday, the President of the Basque Autonomous Region, Juan Jose Ibarretxe, protested "they have spent eight months and the facts have not been clarified, nor either the serious denunciations of torture and bad treatment that were made. There has been no existence of justice or explanations, and in a democratic system, one is supposed innocent until proven guilty, but the democratic guarantees and the civil and political rights, have suffered".

As for the businesses that were shut down this past Thursday, the directors of these businesses knew they were under scrutiny from the Spanish authorities long before Egunkaria was closed. A year or so before, Spanish authorities tried and failed to close down Basque publishing house Elkarlanean. After the newspaper Egunkaria was shut down, Jose Mari Sors who is director of Elkarlanean, (http://www.elkarlanean.com) publicly stated that his company's offices, books and all accounts were available for the authorities to investigate, as he had nothing to hide. Sors made this offer in writing, to the Courts of the Basque Autonomous Community and Madrid. This was in vain. Today, Jose Mari Sors is sitting in a jail cell in Madrid, held incommunicado for 5 days.

Questions:

Why would the Spanish government rather make a big show of arresting these businessmen and forcibly searching these premises, with 200 Civil Guard officers (!!), when they could have peacefully searched the offices 8 months ago with full cooperation?

Why was this operation carried out on the same day the President of the Autonomous Basque Region was awarding Martin Ugalde the "International Basque" award? Martin Ugalde, a famous historian, is the namesake of the office park under investigation and is also the Honorary President of the newspaper Egunkaria.

Also note that this operation was carried out a week after the director of Egunkaria, Martxelo Otamendi, met with Theo van Boven, the Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. Otamendi, and others, were interviewed regarding torture done to them while in police custody.

All in all, the facts of this case do not add up. (Actually, there are few facts, but many accusations) There are too many questions about the timing and methods of the Spanish investigators. Our hope is that journalists will see the abuses occurring in this case and thoroughly investigate these proceedings. This is not likely to occur within Spain, as Aznar's government has too much control over the media, nor will it happen at the hands of a Basque journalist, who would be immediately suspect of terrorist sympathies by virtue of his ethnicity.

It needs to come from the outside. We implore journalists to take a look at the conflict in the Basque country. Look at it fairly and in a balanced manner. Get your news not just from official Spanish sources, but also from Basque human and civil rights organizations, Basque politicians and the Basque people who are involved in these proceedings!

If you have any questions or would like more information, please don't hesitate to contact:

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

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IBO : Xarlo Etxezaharreta Kidnapped

Here you have another demand for the immediate liberation of Xarlo Etxezaharreta, abducted in Hegoalde by the Spanish secret service, this one from the International Basque Organization for Human Rights:

September 29, 2003

Basque Journalist snatched off the street

Sunday night in Abadiño finished off a day of festivals. XarloEtxezaharreta was escorting a visiting friend around the region and was about to drive his friend home. Suddenly, strange men surround all, and Xarlo was put into a car and driven away. No charges read, no explanations given. None are needed when the victim is Basque and the arrestor is the Spanish Guardia Civil. All the more frightening is that Xarlo is from Hazparne,the northern Basque region, and is a French citizen.

Xarlo's friends were stranded and frightened, not knowing at that time who these men were or why they took Xarlo. His family was contacted and was confused, having thought of no apparent reasons for his arrest.

Sixty two year old Xarlo Etxezaharreta is the editor of the Basque political magazine Kale Gorria. This magazine writes commentary on politicians and organizations in Spain and the Basque region. In its previous incarnation, Ardi Beltza, Spanish authorities accused the magazine of being part of the terrorist group ETA because its articles were critical of politicians and those in authority. The magazine’s editor at the time, Pepe Rei, was imprisoned and later released due to lack of evidence.

Xarlo is also a member of Udalbiltza, a political group that spanned all regions of the Basque country. Udalbiltza was an organization made up of politicians and others from hundreds of city and town councils of the Basque region within Spain and France. They regularly met and discussed ways of working together politically, to advance Basque cultural and political causes. Spanish authorities did not like Udalbiltza. Here was an organization of Basque politicians, spanningborders, working together legally to change their political landscape. In order to stop this, the authorities called Udalbiltza an "integration of ETA" They outlawed Udalbiltza, and asked the United States to add them to their list of terrorist organizations. The US, owing a favor to their Iraqi War allies, did just that.

It was because of Xarlo's participation in Udalbiltza that he was arrested and held incommunicado this past Sunday night. Xarlo now joins the ranks of the dozens of politicians and journalists currently being held for the same reason: that they dared to work in a legal manner to change their political reality in the Basque Country.

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

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IBO Press Release: Freedom of Expression

PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Freedom of Expression takes another hit in the Basque Country

September 19, 2003

Recent events in the Basque Country again point to a dire lack of respect for freedom of speech on the part of Judge Baltasar Garzon of the Spanish National High Court. On Monday, September 15th, Spanish police detained three people and closed down three establishments in connection with an authorized demonstration that took place in Donostia (San Sebastian).

The three people, Juan Joxe Petrikorena, Inigo Balda and Ainhoa Inigo were detained and accused of organizing a demonstration that took place on August 10th under the slogan "No apartheid. Autodeterminazioa" (No to Apartheid. Self-determination). Permission for the demonstration was originally denied but then granted upon appeal. The three establishments closed are claimed to be the places where the organization of this demonstration took place.

The International Basque Organization for human rights (IBO) decries this latest denial of basic human rights by Judge Garzon and the Spanish state. This is only the latest of human rights abuses that have taken place in the past months - including the closure of Egunkaria and the arrest and torture of editors, journalists and directors of that newspaper.

For more information, please contact:

International Basque Organization For Human Rights
PO Box 225
Corte Madera, CA 94976
415 924-2151
www.euskojustice.org

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IBO's New Logo

Well people, the IBO page has a new look and a new logo, and we are up to 405 signatures on the US Basque Petition. So go visit the page and tell us what you think about it.

Thanks for your support.

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Open Letter

Here is a copy of the letter that IBO will be sending to the different Human Rights organizations around the world:

To whom it may concern:

I am writing to you on behalf of the newly formed International Basque Organization, Inc. (IBO).

I am the coordinator for IBO's Human Rights Committee which has as its mission to form a network with other world wide organizations and individuals that work on an everyday basis to improve the conditions of those who because of their ethnicity, nationality, gender or religion have to face intolerance and suffer attacks on their basic freedoms.

Today the Basque society faces a serious threat. Our whole culture is being labeled as an apology of terrorism, and the reality of the Basque Country is manipulated in the international media to fit the agenda of those who deny the Basques their right to self-determination, a right that is protected by the UN charter.

As Basque people continue to petition for their inherent right to search for their own political options and solutions to the present conflict they are met with threats, unusual punishment and loss of their personal freedoms by the Spanish State as well as subtle but formidable resistance from the French State. This harsh reality robs the Basque people of the right to excercize and have access to free press, the right to fair elections, freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom from false arrest and imprisonment.

If you are interested in establishing communication with IBO, will you please contact us? It is our hope to develop mutually supportive relationships with dedicated human rights professionals. If you need more information don't hesitate to ask; we are here to shed light on the Basque culture, language and history. Here is the link to our site:

www.euskojustice.org

International Basque Organization.

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