ELN's Solidarity

There has been a communique by the ELN (Colombia's Ejercito de Liberación Nacional) regarding the liberation of Asier Huegun:

ELN, an armed group of Colombia which mantains several tourists kidnapped by political reasons, has announced that he'll release one of them, the Basque Asier Huegun, as a sign of solidarity with basque people's fight. They will release Huegun if some conditions are met:

- Presence of a delegation of the basque government composed by Joseba Egibar (PNV), Sabin Intxaurraga (EA) and Joseba Alvarez (Batasuna).

- Presence of Basque journalists (ETB and Gara).

- Supervision of the release operation by the Catholic Church.

- An end to the bombings and continuous attacks they are suffering at Santa Marta mountains.

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Free!

At Berria:

All free

Four of the detainees have been released provisionally and the other five have had to post bail

Imanol Muria Uria – MADRID

They are all free. The nine people arrested for their connections with the Martin Ugalde Kultur Parkea and Egunkaria were released yesterday at the Spanish National High Court, four without having to stand bail and the other four on bail. Judge Juan Del Olmo decreed temporary release for Mikel Arrizabalaga, Angel Diez, Enekoitz Etxeberria and Amando Hernandez while still upholding the accusation; Mikel Azkune, Joanmari Larrarte and Xabier Legarra each had to post bail of 12,000 euros in order to be released, and Joxe Mari Sors and Mikel Sorozabal 30,000 euros each. In the end, the judge confirmed the petitions made by the Public Prosecutor. They were all released at midday and early in the afternoon at the Spanish National High Court itself.

The judge did not specify the exact crime that each of the accused had been charged with in the writ giving the reasons for granting provisional release to some and for releasing others on bail. In general terms they have been accused of taking part in a number of economic crimes “in the provisional charges”. The case continues sub judice.

When they came out of the National High Court they said that during the interrogations they had not been subjected to physical bad treatment, but they all said that the five days being held incommunicado in the hands of the Spanish Civil Guard had been very hard and this was evident on their tired faces. Among other things they had been obliged to have their eyes closed or to face the wall during the interrogations, otherwise when they moved from one place to another they were forced to keep their heads bowed and their eyes closed, some had had to stand facing the wall when they heard a knock at the door while they were inside the cell, and when they failed to comply with the Civil Guards’ orders or if they did not answer in the way the interrogators wanted, they were threatened. Mikel Sorozabal, for example, summed it up as “continual humiliation.”

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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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Del Olmo Goes Bezerk

Today at Berria, and to think that shortsighted people dare to ask why is it that the Basques want their independence, gee I wonder why, when a "judge" holds a deteinee's lawyer incommunicado, what can be expected from the justice system in the Spanish regime?

Here you have the note:

Judge Del Olmo has lawyer Etxeberria arrested and held incommunicado

The other eight held incommunicado began to appear before the judge at 13.30 and continued into the early hours

E. Goenaga/I. Murua Uria – MADRID

At 21.45 hours yesterday Judge Juan Del Olmo announced that Enekoitz Etxeberria, the legal representative of Egunkaria S.A. and lawyer of the detainee Amando Hernandez, had been arrested and held incommunicado and was being detained in the cells of the Spanish National High Court. The lawyer Jose Mari Elosua had been with Etxeberria at the entrance of the National High Court. He saw the judge come down from his office and go up to Etxeberria to speak to him. Later he saw the judge taking the Egunkaria S.A. lawyer away with him. Shortly afterwards the clerk of the court told Elosua that Etxeberria was being detained and held incommunicado.

Elosua felt that the most normal thing would have been for Etxeberria to testify together with the remaining detainees. However, he could legally be held this way for five days. The clerk of the court said yesterday that he [Etxeberria] would, however, be testifying today after the rest had done so. Nevertheless, in Elosua’s view this latest arrest means that the police operation is still going on.

Jose Mari Elosua felt that the arrest was “excessive and out of all proportion.” “For the last eight months Etxeberria himself has been dealing constantly with all the requests of the Spanish National High Court. He has been in Madrid today [Monday] within the judge’s reach, just as he has been over the past eight months. And he was planning to be here tomorrow [Tuesday].” Elosua added that if he was involved in some judicial matter, the natural thing would have been to have left the proceedings against him until today.

Martxelo Otamendi, BERRIA’s Chief Editor, had this to say: “Egunkaria has suddenly been left without a legal representative. This is just adding insult to injury. With the situation of the detainees being held incommunicado, the arrest of the lawyer just aggravates their defencelessness”.

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Massive Response

Today at Berria:

A massive response once again

In a superb response to Kontseilua’s call, thousands of demonstrators filled the streets of Donostia to denounce the latest attack on Basque cultural activity and to demand freedom for the detainees

Eider Goenaga – DONOSTIA (San Sebastian)

For the second time in eight months thousands of Basque citizens heeded the call made by Kontseilua and expressed their anger in the streets of Donostia (San Sebastian) in a fitting response to the attack. They filled the streets to bursting yesterday by joining together under the banner of “Gora Euskal Herrri euskalduna. Bai euskarari!” (Long live the Basque-speaking Basque Country. Yes, to Euskara, the Basque language!) and pledging their allegiance to Basque cultural activity. They condemned the assault carried out on the Martin Ugalde Kultur Parkea just as they did so eight months ago to denounce the closing of Egunkaria . A request to support the Basque language and the organisations involved in Basque cultural activity was expressed by one and all.

Lined up behind the banner were four of the people detained in the previous operation: Joan Mari Torrealdai, Txema Auzmendi, Martxelo Otamendi and Fermin Lazkano. They were accompanied by the representatives of Kontseilua: Xabier Mendiguren, its secretary-general; Imanol Lazkano of the Bertsozale Elkartea (Extempore Basque verse-making enthusiasts’ association); Joxe Leon Otano of AEK (adult Basque teaching organisation); Ttitto Velvedere of the Euskal Konfederazioa (association working for the standardisation of Basque in the Northern Basque Country –under French jurisdiction); Gabi Basanez of the EHE (association demanding the Basque language in the Basque Country); Joxean Lizarribar and Ane Agirregomezkorta of the board of directors of EKT (the company that runs BERRIA), among others. The father of Mikel Sorozabal, the former managing director of Egunkaria, also held the banner on behalf of the relatives of the detainees.

The detainees were the main protagonists of the demonstration along with the call in favour of the Basque language. Behind the first banner, workers from the Martin Ugalde Kultur Parkea companies carried a second one demanding the release of the detainees: “Atxilotuak askatu. Euskalgintza aurrera!” (Free the detainees. Come on Basque cultural activity!). Behind them photos were carried of the detained colleagues along with those of Inaki Uria, Xabier Oleaga and Xabier Alegria, the people being held in prison in the wake of the February 20th operation.

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Protesting the Assault on Basque Culture

Today at Berria:

Thousands protest against the assault on Basque cultural activity

Thousands of people in towns and cities responded to the call made by “Kontseilua” to call for the release of the detainees and demand that the Basque language be left in peace

Editorial Staff

Protests were held yesterday inside the Basque Country to condemn Thursday’s police operation and the attack on Basque cultural activity. For example, about one hundred teachers and students involved in the “Irale” study programme got together for a quarter of an hour in the Larratxo square of Donostia [San Sebastian] with the banner: “Euskalgintzaren aurkako erasorik ez” (No to the attack on Basque Cultural Activity). Between 14.00 and 15.00 hours workers from the Zabaltzen distribution company and the Euskalgintza Elkarlanean publishing house met together in front of the Zabaltzen premises in the Donostia suburb of Igaro. About fifty people lined up behind a banner that read “Atxilotuak askatu Euskal Herria aurrera” (Free the Detainees. Come on Basque Country!). They included Iñaki Sors, the brother of Jose Mari Sors, who is one of the detainees. Martxelo Otamendi [BERRIA’s Chief Editor] and Joxean Lizarribar, on behalf of the “Euskarazko Komunikazio Taldea” [the company that runs BERRIA], also took part.

One of the first protests in front of city and town halls called by “Kontseilua” was held in Baiona (Bayonne). Leading about 150 people Gexan Alfaro of the Elkarlanean publishing house denounced the operation as “state terrorism” and added that “the time has come for all Basque nationalists to unite and dispense with party politics”. Maixan Merkapide, chairman of the “Euskal Konfederazioa” called on the politicians to do something “to stop this.”

In Donostia over 1,000 people got together outside the city hall; Xabier Mendiguren, Kontseilua’s General Secretary, and Joan Mari Torrealdai, the Editor of the journal “Jakin”, were there along with the wives of the detainees Joxe Mari Sors, Mikel Arrizabalaga and Mikel Sorozabal. Representatives of political parties were also there: Luis Mari Bandres of the EAJ (Basque Nationalist Party), Josetxo Ibazeta of Batasuna, Iñaki Irazabalbeitia of Aralar. The ELA and LAB Basque trade unions were also represented, and Joxe Leon Otaño was there on behalf of the AEK (adult Basque teaching organisation).

About 2,000 people staged a protest in Bilbo, and approximately 1,000 in Gasteiz (Vitoria).

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Cultural Park Under Attack

Gara reports the most recent attack against Basque cultural institutions by the Spanish government. The Audiencia Nacional judges are working extra time now that their puppet master Aznar enjoys of total impunity before the international community thanks to the so called "war on terror".

Here you have the note:

Eight citizens arrested in a security operation against different businesses related to Basque culture

The Martin Ugalde Cultural Park

A total of eight Basque citizens have been arrested in a security operation ordered by Judge Juan del Olmo, of the Spanish Audiencia Nacional, and carried out by agents of the Civil Guard.

The operation took place in the early hours of the October 16th 2003 and the arrests were made in the Basque provinces of Gipuzkoa and Nafarroa.

7 of those arrested took place in the former province. To be more exact, these took place in Donostia, Hernani, Errenteria-Orereta and Tolosa, and another in the Navarren area of Lizarra.

In the framework of this operation the offices of the management group of the Martin Ugalde Cultural Park, in Andoain were searched. Over twenty businesses related to Euskara (the Basque language) and Basque culture normally work from this centre.

This operation has been presented by Spanish legal sources as a continuation of the operation begun eight months ago, which resulted in the closure of "Egunkaria"- the only daily newspaper in the Basque language. After that operation Basque society responded with a number of huge demonstrations, but there were also serious claims of torture made by many of the ten detainees. One of those was that made by Martxelo Otamendi, the director of the newspaper.

One of the offices raided by the Guardia Civil is that of the newspaper "Berria", which was founded to offer a newspaper in the Basque language after the forced closure of "Egunkaria".

In fact, one of those arrested, Joan Mari Larrarte, acted as spokesperson for the workers of "Egunkaria" after its closure.

The main searches related to the operation have been carried out in the offices of the management group of the Martin Ugalde Cultural Park, run under the name of Buruntzape S.L, and the graphics companies Lizarra and Zabaltzen, the latter company being a leader in the distribution of books and c.ds in the Basque language.

Various people involved in these businesses have been arrested: Jose Mari Sors, Mikel Arrizabalaga, Xabier Legarra, Mikel Sorozabal, Joan Mari Larrarte, Mikel Azkune, Armando Hernandez and Angel Ramon Diez.

All of them are being held incommunicado, without the right to contact their families, or be assisted by a lawyer of confidence (one of their choosing), which has led to the lawyer Eneko Etxeberria to voice his concern about their situation and to demand that the detainees be brought before the courts immediately.

After the appearance of Etxeberria and after a meeting of those businesses that work from the Martin Ugalde cultural park, the workers from the industrial estate- which takes its name from a Basque writer who was forced to live in exile during the Franco dictatorship- held a demonstration against another attack against Basque culture.

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Del Olmo Attacks Basque Culture

This note appeared today at Berria:

Judge Del Olmo and Spanish Civil Guard launch another attack on Basque cultural activity

Spanish Civil Guards have arrested eight people linked to the Martin Ugalde Kultur Parkea and are holding them incommunicado

Imanol Murua Uria – DONOSTIA (San Sebastian)

The Spanish National High Court and the Spanish Civil Guard have carried out a fresh assault on Basque cultural activity. In the early hours of yesterday morning the Civil Guard, on the orders of Judge Del Olmo, arrested eight people who are linked to the Martin Ugalde Kultur Parkea and Euskaldunon Egunkaria. The Civil Guards not only searched the homes of the eight detainees, but also the premises of the distributors Zabaltzen and the printing company Gráficas Lizarra in the Martin Ugalde Kultur Parkea. According to the search warrants issued by Judge Del Olmo, yesterday’s operation was a continuation of the one which closed down Euskaldunon Egunkaria; in this instance against the company Buruntzape SL that manages the Martin Ugalde Parkea and a number of other companies that were connected with Egunkaria.

The police operation began at 01.15 hours in the morning with the participation of about two hundred civil guards. Mikel Arrizabalaga, Xabier Legarra and Mikel Sorozabal were detained in Donostia (San Sebastian), Joxe Mari Sors and Mikel Azkune in Errenteria, Joanmari Larrarte in Hernani, Amando Hernandez in Tolosa and Angel Ramon Diez in Aiegi (Navarre). All of them were arrested in their homes.

The eight detainees were believed to have been taken to Madrid, to the Spanish Civil Guard Headquarters, yesterday morning. They are being held incommunicado and will not be making their declarations before the judge until Monday, according to Spanish National High Court sources. The ten people arrested in the operation to close down Egunkaria on February 20 also spent five days in the hands of the Civil Guard before appearing before Judge Del Olmo, and they filed complaints of bad treatment and torture. Because of this, the lawyers are planning to apply for a writ of habeas corpus on behalf of the detainees to request that they be taken before the Judge at once.

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Handball Championships

Today at RTÉ Sport:

World Handball Championships get underway on Friday
Filed at: Thursday , October 16 2003 18:58PM

One Wall events get underway on Friday in the first leg of the World Handball Championships.

All events, from juvenile to masters take place in O’Loughlin Gaels in Kilkenny and spectators will be in for quite a treat as 200 matches will be played over a three day period from Friday to Sunday.

A truly international contest will be on display as competitors from Australia, Basque Country, Canada, England, Wales and the US will be taking on the natives in Ireland to battle for top One Wall honours.

The events at the weekend will be the best opportunity to see as many stars and international players at the one venue as competitors will be scattered throughout the countryside for their fourwall events.

Filed by Johnny Proby

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Berria On The Web

Take a look at Berria before the Spanish fascist government shuts it down.

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