Julen Arzuaga in Belfast

This article was published at Barcelona Reporter:

On Saturday August the 8th, Basque Conference Held in Belfast

Julen Arzuaga, a lawyer from Behatokia, the Basque Observatory of Human Rights, travelled to Belfast from the Basque Country to speak at the conference, present at the conference were Iñaki de Juana and Arturo Beñat Villanueva, two Basque activists who are fighting extradition charges by the Spanish government. The firm of attorneys who are representing both men, gave a progress report on its efforts to defeat the extradition charges.

There were more than 100 people present at the conference on political persecution in the Basque Country on Saturday August 8 in An Chultúrlann in west Belfast, organised by the Don't Extradite the Basques Campaign as part of the annual Féile an Phobail.

Veteran republican activist Danny Morrison introduced the conference and in a speech compared the Spanish government's persecution of the Basque pro-independence movement with the experience of Irish republicans over several decades, and went on to say "The best way this community can show our solidarity with the Basque people's struggle for their human and national rights in this period of severe repression by the Spanish government is by making sure that these vindictive extradition attempts are defeated."

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Eskubideak : Defence and Special Courts and Laws

We just received this announcement via email:

Dear colleagues,

The next 24th and 25th of October will take place at the Ilustre Colegio de Abogados del Señorío de Bizkaia (Bizkaia Bar Association), in Bilbao, the Conference "The right to a defence vs. Special Courts and Laws", organized by AED-EDL, Eskubideak and the Basque Council of Lawyers.

The ojectives and aims to discuss will be: To identify exceptional measures in an international context and their impact on human rights and fundamental freedoms. The position of the legal community on this situation. Assessment of a specific situation in relation to the Basque context. To identify exceptional measures and their implementation in relation to civil and political rights. Academic assessment. A lawyer’s professional activity, faced with exceptionality. The role of lawyers, who must demand a justice system that respects human rights as the only framework in which it is possible to exercise the Right to a Defence. Criminalization of lawyers’ professional activity. Mechanisms for the protection of lawyers in their professional activity –defending the defence counsel.

Through this message we would like to invite you to this Conference and to spread the invitation to any lawyer, jurist and person that could be interested in the matter.

There will be simultaneus translation to Basque, Spanish, French and English.

Best regards,

Communication office of Eskubideak

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Another Day, Another Trial

Once again the Spanish government flexes its muscle and puts on trial members of a Basque human rights' organization. Knowing that the entire world is distracted by the Olympic torch and the Tibetan massive demonstrations of support Rodriguez Zapatero continues the oppressive offensive against Basque society in ways that would make Francisco Franco proud.

Here you have this note appeared at EITb:

Politics

Basque left-wing organizations

Trial against pro-amnesty Basque organization starts in Spain

04/21/2008

Twenty-seven members of pro-amnesty Basque organizations are suspected of aiding the armed Basque group ETA through a network of social and political organizations.

A trial against 27 members of pro-amnesty Basque organizations started on Monday in Spain's High Court.

The 27 people, members of the Basque left-wing organizations Gestoras Pro Amnistía, Askatasuna, Behatokia and Senideak, are suspected of aiding the armed Basque group ETA through a network of social and political organizations.

On Monday, all of them refused to answer questions by the Spanish public prosecutor.

The case stemmed from an eight-year inquiry by Baltasar Garzon, Spain's leading anti-terror investigator. Garzon alleged that ETA was not just made up of armed commandos but also had support through political, financial and media organizations. The defendants were accused of belonging to these groups, some of which have been outlawed.

The organizations engaged in activities ranging from giving support to ETA members in prison and helping ETA find new targets to recruiting new members and gathering worthy data from the summaries, Garzon has charged.

And as we all know, for Garzon all Basques are guilty from the start, so the last thing we can expect is a fair trial.

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Behatokia : De Juana's Report

This report comes to us from our friends in Behatokia:

Dear friends,

The case of the Basque prisoner Iñaki de Juana is a violation of several human rights. It is a case of arbitrary detention because of the irregular nature of the extension of his time in prison after having served his sentence in full and being entitled to his release; it is a flagrant violation of the right to freedom of speech, because he is being accused of terrorism for having published two opinion articles that had no criminal content whatsoever; it is an example of justice working at the whim of political interests and special jurisdictional activity; the treatment Iñaki de Juana is being subjected to, in that he is on hunger strike of his own free will and he is being force-fed against his will, is a clear case of inhuman and cruel treatment. This is probably the most flagrant case today, but it is not the only one; Iñaki de Juana’s current situation is but the tip of the iceberg.**

You can find the document attache, or in its pdf version at the address:

www.behatokia.info/docs/Info/dejuana/eng/dejuanaeng.zip

On October 7 a large demonstration marched through the streets of Donostia to demand the rights of Basque political prisoners be upheld.

Specifically, the demonstration demanded:

* the right to be released for the approximately 160 prisoners who are legally entitled to be released,

* the release of the 6 prisoners with serious incurable illnesses and

* the right of the prisoners to be repatriated to jails in the Basque Country

The demonstration, called by organisations from various sections of society, which have come together under the name of the Ibaeta Forum and represent the majority of the Basque organised civil society, was aimed at supporting the prisoners’ struggle for their rights, currently embodied in Iñaki de Juana’s long hunger strike.

After this large demonstration, de Juana decided to give up his hunger strike after 63 days. During this time he was force fed three times, but now, although in a delicate condition, he is recovering at the 12 de Octubre Hospital in Madrid.

However, on the 27th of this month, he will be tried for publishing two opinion articles in the Basque daily Gara, for which the prosecution is requesting 96 years in prison, alleging that through these articles he committed crimes of “issuing terrorist threats” and “membership of an armed group”. Therefore, we believe it is important to continue to follow Iñaki’s situation and especially, to maintain the pressure in view of this trial, which is illegitimate and violates his most basic rights and in view of the possibility of Iñaki being convicted, which would clearly be unjust.

Thank you for your interest,

Behatokia Communication Team

Euskal Herriko Giza Eskubideen Behatokia
Basque Observatory of Human Rights

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Advancing Euskera in Nafarroa

It is about time a law that prevents Basques from developing spaces for Euskara in parts of Nafarroa, a Basque province, because of a law that allegedly was established to help protect and promote the language.

Is it possible that the European Community can be so blind as to allow some backwards politicians to endanger one of Europe's (and the entire world for that case) most unique languages?

Basque language activity representatives demand new law

On the 18th anniversary of the passing of the law in Navarre, they called for the language zone system to be abolished and for linguistic rights to be protected

Maitane Burusko – IRUÑEA (Pamplona)

Today it is 18 years since the Government of Navarre's charter law 15/1986, or law governing the Basque language was passed. However, it is no cause for celebration for the players in the field of Basque language activity. They have denounced “the division and the continual violation of linguistic rights,” which have resulted from cutting Navarre up into three linguistic zones.

This was why a number of players involved in Basque language activity were keen to give a joint assessment yesterday to demand that, “on the basis of the conditions laid down in the Universal Declaration of Linguistic Rights, Basque should be given official status, that it should be treated as something that belongs to Navarre and that it should be given priority”. So the following bodies made a call for the repeal of the current Basque Language Law: Administrazioan Euskaraz (Organisation promoting Basque in the Administration), AEK, Behatokia, Euskal Herria Euskaraz, IKA (Association of centres teaching Basque and literacy in Basque to adults), Kontseilua, Oinarriak (Association of 15 organisations working for the standardisation of Basque in Navarre) and Sortzen-Ikasbatuaz (Association of Basque-speaking public schools).

The representatives of organisations working in the field of Basque language activity who met together are basically saying that the Basque Language Law in Navarre lacks “the necessary foundations” to bring about the normalisation of the Basque language. On December 15, 1986 the Government of Navarre implemented the law, which governs the linguistic rights of Basque speakers in Navarre, according to where they live.

Behatokia’s chairman Paul Bilbao explained that it was “a decision devoid of logic, “because it is inconceivable that the law itself should recognise that the language belongs to Navarre, while at the same time it divides up its official status on the basis of zones”. Bilbao added that over the last two decades people have not enjoyed any rights in the non-Basque speaking zone established by the law. As far as the mixed zone laid down by the law was concerned, the Behatokia chairman stressed that the law had contributed to the decline of the language in the institutions over the last few years.

The Government of Navarre has in fact passed a number of decrees to reduce the use of Basque, for example decrees 37/2000 and 29/2003, which were blocked by the courts. Paul Bilbao said that even in the Basque-speaking zone the Government of Navarre had flouted the law; he pointed out that linguistic rights are systematically being infringed today. On behalf of the players involved in Basque language activity he added: “At the end of the day the Basque Language Law has contributed towards discrimination among the citizens of Navarre and towards making the language disappear.”

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Basque Films in Netherlands

We just received this information via email:

Basque Film Festival
1-27 October 2004

Introduction

The monoculturalists occupy almost the entire Europe. Everyone?

No, a small group of people, called Basques, is doing their things for years. That is, they appear to be the oldest people of Europe, with a long history and an ancient and unique language, which they could preserve by defending themselves through the ages against all kinds of intruders. A people without their own state, existing of 7 provinces with an own language, their own traditions, their own sports and fiestas ànd a people that kept these traditions alive. With the disappearing of the borders inside Europe the time is here to focus attention on the differences in the populations in Europe and in the case of this Basque film festival specifically to the Basques. Until today emotions run high when discussing Euskal Herria, the Basque Country.

Filmmaker Julio Medem was so fed up with this negativity that he decided to make a documentary about the current Basque situation. The film La Pelota Vasca, in which many Basques are interviewed and images of old movies can be seen, was met with boycotts and criminalized as ‘pro-terrorist’ movie by the then ruling Aznar- government.

Melkweg Cinema focuses on the Basque cinema for one month long. A cinema that was very political in the seventies and eighties, with movies as El Proceso de Burgos, Fuga de Segovia, in which the liberation movement ETA is to be seen. During the eighties their appeared more ‘arthouse films’, in which a Basque theme (cultural of mystical) was woven, like Tasio and Akelarre. Mystic can also be found at filmmakers as Victor Erice, who, despite being born in Euskal Herria, made an entire Spanish film El Espiritu de la Colmena. In the mid-eighties more critical films appeared as 27 Horas and La Muerte de Mikel. A real boom of talented filmmakers was seen in the nineties, with their very own and obstinate input, less politic and explicit, but very connected to their Basque identity. They are filmmakers as Julio Medem, Alex de la Iglesia, Juanma Bajo Ulloa and Daniel Calparsoro. Their work will be prominently shown during this festival. And you can see 2 curious documentaries of Orson Welles from 1955; Around the world with Orson Welles: The Basque Countries. They are being shown together with the first French soundfilm about the Basque Country: Au Pays des Basques from 1930. There is also a documentary about the football club Athletic Bilbao, who play only with Basque players: Athletic, Un Siglo de Passion. And we show 8 short movies under the name Cortos Vascos.


Euskal Herria in Amsterdam – Saturday the 9th of October 2004 from 13.00 until deep in the night

BIZI GARA JAIA

Saturday the 9th of October the Melkweg is being transformed into a Basque event. In the evening loads of different music. The bands Gailu and Inoren Ero Ni, singer songwriter Anari and Fermin Muguruza Kontrakantxa Sound System (mc’s Fermin Muguruza, Sorkun: Trikitixa: Xabi Solano; Horns: Jon Elizalde, Igor Ruiz, Aritz Lonbide; DJ: Dzigor). Fermin Muguruza is one of the most important names in the Basque music scene. Famous of his bands Kortatu, Negu Gorriak and Dut he helped put the Basque music on the charts. This year he was already doing the Melkweg with his farewell tour with FM Kontrabanda. Besides all these artists there are the typical Txalaparta-players (wooden instrument), the Trikitixa (flute) and the Bertsolaris (poets). And don’t forget to undergo the Basque gastronomy in the Café-Restaurant.

From 13.00 the door opens and the latest Julio Medem movie La Pelota Vasca is shown. Producer Koldo Zuazua will be present to tell about the problems accompanying this movie. From 19.00 until 20.30 there is a political seminar about violations of political, civil and human rights and the freedom of press in the Basque Country. This debate will be in English and is organised by BIC, the Basque Information Centre. With speakers such as Martxelo Otamendi, the director of the by the Spanish government banned Basque daily Egunkaria and Julen Arzuaga, lawyer of the Basque human rights organisation Behatokia.

Film descriptions

LA PELOTA VASCA, LA PIEL CONTRA EL PIEDRA

(Basque Ball: The Skin Against the Stone) Julio Medem, Euskadi 2003 | 117 min. | Spanish/Basque spoken | English subtitles

Julio Medem is internationally respected for his psychological films as Vacas and Lucia y el Sexo. In 2002 he started with a passionate and human call for the opening of a dialogue between the different Basque political parties and the Spanish government. Unfortunately the then ruling president Aznar criminalized this film and labelled the filmmaker as ‘pro-terrorist’. They tried to ban the film from the London film festival and during the annual Goya- awards there were pro and contra demonstrations. La Pelota Vasca contains a lot of interviews (Ibarretxe, Félipe Gonzalez), artists (Fermin Muguruza) and priests who give their opinion about the wish for dialogue, discussion and understanding about the current Basque politics. Medem used a lot of documentary images of Basque sports, fiestas and historical events to complete the film. Watch out for the fantastic view of Orson Welles on the Basques or the handicapped Pelota-players. With on the background of the marvellous music of Mikel Laboa. Not to miss for all who want to know more about the current Basque politics.

Shown on Saturday 9 October at 14.00 (with the producer present), at the same day also at 21.00 and on Sunday 10 October at 13.30. Also at Sunday 17 October at 13.30 and Sunday 24 October at 13.30.

EL BOSQUE DEL LOBO

(The Wolfman of Galicia) Pedro Olea, Spanje 1970 | 86 min. | Spanish spoken | English subtitles

At the rising of the moon an unhappy schizophrenic murders women he accompanies through the woods. Beautifully situated in the Galicia of the years ’10. No folkloristic vision that you’re used o see in the Spanish film. A forgotten jewel from the Basque film history.

Shown only on Monday 11 October at 20.00.

EL PROCESO DE BURGOS

(The Burgos Trial), Imanol Uribe, Spanje 1979 | 134 min. | Basque spoken gesproken | Spanish subtitles

At the 3rd of December 1970 the trail against 16 militant members of ETA began in Burgos. Verdict: death penalty. Because of international protest most of the sentences were brought down to jail-sentences. This film reports about this historical process with much interviews. Shown only on Sunday the 10th of October on 16.00.

LA FUGA DE SEGOVIA

(The Segovia Breakout), Imanol Uribe, Euskadi 1981 | 110 min. | Spanish spoken | English subtitles

In the summer of 1967 22 Basque political prisoners organise an escape from one of Franco’s most notorious prisons, in Segovia. This film is a non-romantised report of this sensational escape.

Shown only on Sunday the 3rd of October at 13.30.

EL ESPIRITU DE LA COLMENA

(The Spirit of the Beehive), Victor Erice, Spanje 1975 | 95 min. | Spanish spoken | English subtitles

Castillië 1940. A young Ana Torrent gets obsessed with the monster of Frankenstein after seeing the film with Boris Karloff in a travelling cinema. She is convinced the monster is real and goes on a search for it. With Ana Torrent, Fernando Gomez, Tersa Gimpera.

Shown on Friday the 22nd of October and on Saturday the 23rd of October on 20.00.

AKELARRE

Pedro Olea, Euskadi 1983 | 107 min. | Basque spoken | English subtitles

An inquisitor from Naffaroa in the 16th age uses his profession for personal use. The film refers to many Basque traditions and folkloristic elements. Akelarre show magnificent the mystic character of the old Basque culture.

Shown only on Sunday the 3rd of October on 20.00.

TASIO

Montxo Armendariz, Euskadi 1984 | 96 min. | Spanish spoken | English subtitles

The story of the tough life of a coal-trader from the Sierra Urbasa. By making no compromises he makes his life even more difficult. Critics and audience in those times very well received this movie.

Shown on Monday the 4th of October at 20.00 and at Thursday the 21st October at 20.00.

LA MUERTE DE MIKEL

(The Death of Mikel), Imanol Uribe, Euskadi 1983 | 90 min. | Basque spoken | English subtitles

A homosexual mortgager and sympathiser with the left is murdered mysteriously in a village at the sea. The story tells the intolerance in Basque society in the eighties. Wit a.o. Imanol Arias.

Shown on Sunday the 3rd October at 13.30 and Tuesday the 19th October at 20.00.

27 HORAS

(27 Hours), Montxo Armendariz, Euskadi 1986 | 81 min. | Spanish spoken | No subtitles

The movie follows the extra-ordinary relationship between 3 friends in Donostia/San Sebastian. 27 Horas is about the problems the youth had to deal with in those days, like drugs. With a young Maribel Verdu and Antonio Banderas.

Shown only at Sunday the 24th of October at 16.00.

VACAS

(Cows), Julio Medem, Spanje 1991 | 96 min. | Spanish spoken | Dutch subtitles

With great feeling for magic and earth symbolism Medem tells a local story about 2 farmer families, at the beginning of the 2nd Carlist war (1873-1876). Powerful debute, about the life on rural Basque Country.

Shown on Thursday the 14th of October and on Sunday the 17th of October at 20.00.

ACCION MUTANTE

Alex de la Iglesia, Spanje 1992 | 90 min. | Spanish spoken | English subtitles

Fashion kings rule the world. Only the terrorist group Accion Mutante resists and demands the right to ugliness. To strengthen their demands they kidnap the daughter of a fastfood king and bring her to a planet inhabited by miners who didn’t see a woman in 20 years. Alex de la Iglesia’s debute contains an insane mix of satire, rebellion, science fiction and black humour.

Shown only on Tuesday the 12th of October at 20.00.

LA ARDILLA ROJA

(The Red Squirrel), Julio Medem, Euskadi 1993 | 110 min. | Spanish spoken | Dutch subtitles

Emma Suarez loses her memory in a car accident. A passer by brings her to a hospital and uses the opportunity to act as her friend. Together they go on holiday. A stylish romantic thriller that evolves in a game of lies and obsessions.

Shown on Sunday the 24th of October at 20.00 and on Tuesday the 26th of October at 20.00.

LA MADRE MUERTA

(The Dead Mother), Juanma Bajo Ulloa, Euskadi 1993 | 106 min. | Spanish spoken | Dutch subtitles

The 2nd film of Juanma Bajo Ulloa is a psychological thriller. Ismael is a violent thief who kills a woman at a burglary. Her little daughter witnessed that and is put in a mental hospital as a result.

Shown only on Monday the 25th of October at 20.00.

SALTO AL VACIO

(Jump into the Void), Daniel Calparsoro, Euskadi 1994 | 86 min. | Spanish spoken | Dutch subtitles

The first movie of Daniel Calparsoro reminds of the French movie La Haine. Poverty, violence en no perspective. Perfect played by the beautiful Najwa Nimri who supports her family by selling drugs and weapons. SALTO AL VACIO or ‘Leap into emptiness’ is situated in a gruesome Bilbao.

Shown on Thursday the 7th of October at 20.00 and on Wednesday the 13th of October at 20.00.

GUERREROS

(Warriors), Daniel Calparsoro, Spanje 2002 | 96 min. | Spanish spoken | English subtitles

A group KFOR-soldiers, based in Kosovo, go on patrol. If they are caught up in a shoot-out with different groups, the hell breaks out. Their vehicles are seized, they don’t get any military support and there is nothing else left than to run for their lives.

Shown on Friday 15 October at 20.00 and on Saturday 16 October at 20.00.

LOKARRI

Jean-Pierre Grasset, Frans Baskenland 2002 | 85 min. | Basque spoken | English subtitles

Imanol, a Basque pelota-player, wants urgently to leave his village and become a pro in the US. But by meeting various people, f.e. Vivian, a woman from Paris, who displays curiosity for the Basque Culture, he discovers that leaving is no solution.

Only shown on Wednesday 27 October at 20.00.

LA CAJA 507

(Safe 507), Enrique Urbizu, Spanje 2002 | 112 min. | Spanish spoken | English subtitles

Modesto is a hardworking bank employee. When the bank is robbed one day, Modesto stays behind tied up among the empty drawers. He discovers a safe with 507 implying documents. As various people show interest in this safe, Modesto sees his opportunity to improve his financial situation.

Shown on Sunday 17 October at 14.00 and on Monday 18 October at 20.00.

800 BALAS

(800 Bullets), Alex de la Iglesia, Spanje 2002 | 126 min. | Spanish spoken | English subtitles

Almería. In a fake cowboy-village a group of stuntman delivers western shows for tourists for years. If the cunning business woman Carmen Maura wants to turn the village in a leisure park, the ‘cowboys’ rise up and defend their village at any cost.

Shown on Friday 1 October at 20.00 and Saturday 2 October at 20.00.

ATHLETIC, UN SIGLO DE PASIÓN

(Athletic, a Century of Passion), Pedro Olea, Euskadi 1998 | 70 min. | Basque spoken | English subtitles

ATHLETIC, UN SIGLO DE PASIÓN is a documentary about the soccer club Athletic de Bilbao, made for their 100th birthday. In the film the history of Athletic is told. There is attention for the prices they won an for the social aspects of the club, f.e. that they only play with Basque players.

Shown on Wednesday the 6th of October at 20.00 and on Wednesday 20 October at 20.00.

AU PAYS DES BASQUES

(In the Land of the Basques), Jean Faugères, Maurice Champreux Frans Baskenland 1930 | 53 min. | French spoken | Spanish insert titles

The first film with sound about the Basque Country. This film takes us through landscapes and culture, from the Basque provinces in France to the other provinces of Euskal Herria. The shepherds, cheese makers, sports, a lot passes.

Shown together with Around the world with Orson Welles at Tuesday 5 October at 20.00 and at Friday 8 October at 20.00.

AROUND THE WORLD WITH ORSON WELLES: THE BASQUE COUNTRIES

Orson Welles, Engeland 1955 | 2 x 25 min. | English spoken

Waiting for money for his next movie Orson Welles made in the fifties various short movies in Europe. Among them those 2 very remarkable about the Basque Country. Not without the humour of the master.

Shown together with Au Pays des Basques at Tuesday 5 October at 20.00 and Friday 8 October at 20.00.

CORTOS VASCOS

(Basque short films), Verschillende regisseurs, Euskadi | 98 min. | Basque spoken | English subtitles

With this short film program an overview is given of a number of short movies among which the first movie of Alex de la Iglesia MIRINDAS ASESINAS, the winner of the Best short film at the Fantastic Film Festival 2004, EL TREN DE LA BRUJA and two short films by Julio Medem.

PATAS EN LA CABEZA - Julio Medem, 1985 | 14 min.
7:35 DE LA MAÑANA - Nacho Vigalondo, 2003 | 8 min.
BELARRA - Koldo Almandoz, 2002 | 10 min.
TERCERO B - Jose Mari Goenaga, 2002 | 18 min.
TOPEKA - Asier Altuna, 2002 | 3½ min.
LAS SEIS EN PUNTA - Julio Medem, 1987 | 15 min.
MIRINDAS ASESINAS - Alex de la Iglesia, 1990 | 12 min.
EL TREN DE LA BRUJA – Koldo Serra, 2003 | 17 min.

Shown only at Sunday 10 October at 20.00.


De Melkweg
Lijnbaansgracht 234a
1017 PH amsterdam
020-5318181
www.melkweg.nl

IN COOPERATION WITH / LAGUNTZAILEAK

Fermin Muguruza, Peio Aldazabal & MªCarmen Ausan (Filmoteca Vasca)

THANKS TO / ESKERRAK

Jose Luis Rebordinos & Lucia Olaciregui (Donostia Cultura), Koldo Zuazua & Silvia Gomez (Alicia produce), Alex de la Iglesia, Julio Medem, Pedro Olea, Imanol Uribe, Daniel Calparsoro, Manuel Llamas (Icaa), Monica Entio (Sogecable), Paz (El Deseo), Mari Carmen Izagirre & Aitor Gabiña (EiTB), Txema Muñoz (Kimuak), Alfonso Castillo (Videomercury), Mandy Rosencrown (Hollywood Classics), Aintzane Perez del Palomar (Idem produccion), Bibiana Bergia & Elias Querejeta, Sergio Rodriguez (Barton Films), Juan Bautista Mendizabal (Promoción Turística), José Antonio Arbelaiz (Creación y Difusión Cultural), Puri Casado Perez, Waltraud Loges (BFI), Gailu, Inoren Ero Ni, Anari, Asier Zulueta (Metak), Hernani, Eat at Jo’s and everybody who helped

DISTRIBUTORS

A-film
Les Films l’Elysée
TF1
Contactfilm
Filmmuseum

Baskenland Informatie Centrum (BIC)
Postbus 2884
3500 GW Utrecht
Nederland
E-mail: baskinfo@xs4all.nl
Http://www.baskinfo.org/

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Spain Fails the Euskara Test

This shouldn't come as a surprise, after all, what Spain wants is to remove anything Basque from the face of the earth, but this report by Behatokia is very interesting and it appeared today at Berria English:

Basque Language Watchdog denounces Spanish Government’s failure to fulfil European Charter

It has produced a report examining how the European Charter has been applied to Basque and has submitted it to the European Council

Agurtzane Solaberrieta – DONOSTIA (San Sebastian)

The Language Rights Watchdog Behatokia has examined how the Spanish State has applied the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in the case of Euskara, the Basque language, and the conclusion it has reached is clear: Madrid has not fulfilled the European Charter.

The Spanish State was among the first eleven to sign the European Charter. It signed it on November 5, 1992, ratified it nine years later on April 9, 2001, and enforced it on August 1 of the same year. This is why Behatokia, with the contributions of other institutions involved in Basque cultural activity, has produced a report in which it examines how the Spanish State has applied the European Charter to Basque. Like Behatokia, the social organisations of other communities have also produced reports of this nature, as in the case of Catalonia and Galicia, to look at how the European Charter has been applied to their languages. Likewise, the Spanish Government has also produced its own report, because the first paragraph of Article 15 of the European Charter (Part IV, on enforcing the Charter) requires that the Spanish Government submit a report within a year of enforcing it to the General Secretary of the European Council. The Spanish Government presented its report on September 23, 2002. The report drawn up by Behatokia is entitled: ‘Assessment of the applying of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages to Basque by the Spanish State’ and has been submitted to the European Council in Strasbourg.

Xabier Mendiguren, the General Secretary of Kontseilua, and Juan Inazio Hartsuaga, Behatokia’s director, made an announcement yesterday concerning the report. Xabier Mendiguren said: “The Spanish State made a number of undertakings when it ratified the European Charter, and as far as the Basque language is concerned, it has not honoured them. The Spanish State is in an embarrassing position, because it has not met these commitments.” Mendiguren went on to stress that the commitment to bring about the normalisation of the language was everyone’s: “We have recently launched a campaign under the slogan “Hizkuntza eskubideak denon konpromisoa” (Language Rights are Everyone’s Commitment). When we say ‘commitment’, we mean taking real steps, and not just pretending, which has happened in this case. We are convinced that the normalisation of the Basque language will be achieved, if each sector of society acknowledges its commitments and honours them,” added Xabier Mendiguren, Kontseilua’s General Secretary.

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Behatokia

Ok, lets start by posting the links to a few organizations working within Euskal Herria towards peace and democracy, the first one I want to point out is Behatokia, they are a group that is trying to bring attention upon the violations of civil and human rights in Euskal Herria. As usual the link to the site has been embedded on the list to the left of this page.

Here is the link to their site and how do they describe themselves:

Behatokia: Basque Observatory of Human Rights is an initiative launched by several Basque organizations in defense of the Human Rights. BEHATOKIA driving forces are: TAT (Group Against Torture), ETXERAT (Association of Relatives of the Politically Repressed), ESKUBIDEAK (Basque Solicitors Association) and GURASOAK (Association of Parents of Young Victims of the Repression).

The objective of these groups when launching BEHATOKIA, was to start up a center of intercommunication with international bodies, non-governmental organizations and groups who work in the defense of Human Rights in order to reveal the violation these rights both, generally and specifically.

Additionally, BEHATOKIA will work before courts and international tribunals interposing imputations where fundamental rights have been violated and confronting the pertinent Spanish and French institutions who have not corrected such situations. On top of it, a substantial part of BEHATOKIA's work will be based on the spreading of information regarding the violations of fundamental rights by the institutions.

.... ... .

Nafarroa Bai

Today at Berria English:

“Nafarroa Bai” aims to usher in “a new era” in Navarrese politics

Five independents make up the joint list of candidates backed by Aralar, EA, the EAJ and Batzarre. They said during the presentation that they wanted to take “the voice of a Basque-speaking, progressive Navarre” to Madrid

Irene Arrizurieta – IRUÑEA (Pamplona)

The Basque nationalist list of candidates “Nafarroa Bai” (Navarre, Yes) backed by Aralar, EA, the EAJ and Batzarre was presented in Iruñea yesterday. The first two on the list of candidates for Congress (lower chamber of the Spanish parliament) are Uxue Barkos, a journalist with the ETB (the Basque television corporation), and Paula Kasares, the former director of the “Hizkuntza Eskubideen Behatokia” (Language Rights Watchdog Committee). The list of candidates for the Senate (upper chamber) is made up of Jose Luis Mendoza, the Chairman of the “Euskara Kultur Elkargoa” (Basque Language Cultural Association), Pablo Lorente, sales representative, and Bixente Serrano Izko, writer and teacher. In yesterday’s appearance they announced that their aim was to take the “voice of a Basque-speaking, progressive Navarre” to Madrid.

Representatives of the parties making up the “Nafarroa Bai” list of candidates were also there to support the list of independent candidates: Jose Antonio Urbiola (EAJ), Koldo Amezketa (EA), Patxi Zabaleta (Aralar) and Joseba Ezeolaza (Batzarre). Carlos Garaikoetxea, the founder of EA and the former Lehendakari or President of the Government of the Basque Autonomous Community (of Araba, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa), was also present. The candidates said that with the “Nafarroa Bai” coalition “a new era has begun in Navarrese politics that will doubtlessly be more democratic and will better reflect the pluralism and coexistence of Navarrese politics than previously.” Uxue Barkos, the candidate for Congress, explained: “The aim is for all the voices of Navarre to be present in Madrid. When you look at the representatives in the Spanish Parliament, it looks as if the society of Navarre is of one colour only, but that is not the case”.

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State Terrorism and Impunity

This article was published at Behatokia's web page:

State terrorism and impunity: the murder of Santi Brouard

On 20 November 1984 two gunmen walked into the medical practice where Santiago Brouard worked; he was a paediatrician and a leader of the political party Herri Batasuna. They shot him six times, killing him instantly. Right from the beginning, a sense that the murder had been committed by members of the state security forces under the acronym GAL (Antiterrorist Liberation Groups) was clear.

The investigation and trial for these events was to be a series of obstacles put in place by the state in order to prevent the truth becoming known and therefore the responsibility of important members of the PSOE government. Within the juridical reasoning for the trial, judge González Armengol, in charge of the investigation of the case, states that the crime was “an idea of the highest member of the State Security, financed by him, organised by persons close to him and covered up through concrete and specific orders to paralyse the police investigations”.

Nevertheless, despite these very serious aspects to the crime, the justice system has been completely unable to determine the responsibilities in the murder and throw light on this case. Twenty years later, the court case against the alleged murderers of Santi Brouard took place in the Bizkaia Province Court. Two precisions must be made: in the first place, the evident delay in the proceedings and secondly the fact that the it trial took place in the Province Court and not in the Audiencia Nacional (National Court), which is the court in charge of cases of terrorism. This last fact is not just a matter of detail, in that it means the murder of Santi Brouard is denied the character of terrorism. In the nearly 20 years that have passed since the crime, the `Brouard case´ has been through the hands of up to 10 judges and ended with a firm sentence, later ratified by the Supreme Court, in 1993. Two men, Mafiosi and without any political responsibilities, were then sentenced for having been the material agents of the murder: Rafael Lopez Ocaña to 33 years jail and Juan Jose Rodriguez Diaz aka “El Francés” to 8 years in jail. The case was reopened after the arrest of Jose Luis Morcillo Pinillos in possession of 100000 pills of Extasy. He was considered to be the co-murderer and the prosecutor requested his being sentenced to 31 years in jail. After 5000 pages of documents and over eight years of investigation the court case finally came round, in this instance with the added possibility of trying those who planned the murder from the shade of their offices.

Nevertheless the court case was full of contradictions in the statements, of incoherent accusations, of rather inconsistent evidence, etc. which meant the case was completely muddled up and preventing the people really behind the murder from being tried.

The accused for the murder of Santi Brouard:

Several police officers and high up members of the Home Office under the PSOE government were tried for various actions related to this case.

José Luis Morcillo Pinillos, an industrialist from Granada and the deceased Rafael López Ocaña a Mafiosi and usual criminal, the material agents who shot Santi Brouard.

Julián Sancristóbal, General Director of State Security, for induction and giving necessary co-operation for the murder.

José Amedo, police Sub-inspector, for induction to the murder.

Rafael Masa, lieutenant colonel of the Guardia Civil, a necessary co-operator.

Francisco Alvarez, head of the MULC (Single Command for Anti-terrorism); Jesús Martinez Torres, general inspector for information; Miguel Planchuelo, superior head of police in Bilbao; and Michel Dominguez, member of the Policia Nacional, as accessories.

During the case, the responsibility of the State Secretary for Security, Rafael Vera and the Home Office secretary, José Barrionuevo, who appeared as witnesses was also stated by several of the accused.

Court decision on 25 June

The First Section of the Bizkaia Province Court decided to acquit the three main accused - José Luis Morcillo, José Amedo and Rafael Masa- of the murder of HB leader Santiago Brouard for lack of conclusive evidence.

In the 48 page long sentence, the court considers that the events “do not constitute the penal infringements they are accused of since none of the illegal types have been proven, so that there is no criminal responsibility”. In this sense, the court underlined the fact that “the referential witnesses would have the ability to prove the events postulated by the prosecutions have absolutely lacked the will to do so”.

The lawyer for the Brouard family, Txema Montero, admitted being “very frustrated because after 18 years we have only managed to sentence one of the material murderers and the person who facilitated the weapons” .the lawyer for the private prosecution also denounced the fact that “during 18 years there has been nothing but obstacles put in our path by the Police and the State Machine” and he pointed out that “this matter will be resolved by historians”.

The fiscal, on the last day of the trial, maintained that the State Security Forces were involved in the murder and that all those responsible for the murder had not sat on the bench in court and now never will.

The daughter of HB leader Santi Brouard, murdered in Bilbao on 20 November 1984, stated that the family is “destroyed” after hearing news of the acquittal. “If the path of the courts has been closed to us, we shall look for other paths, we will not give up,” she said. According to Edurne Brouard “the family has heard of the sentence with resignation”. She had already stated both before and during the trial that the family did not have much faith in the result of this second trial for the murder of the HB leader since “those truly responsible for the murder are not sitting on the bench of the accused”. After hearing the sentence, Edurne Brouard expressed the family’s “bitterness” and the feeling of impunity since “in this State the path of justice has shown itself not to have any guarantees, as we already pointed out nineteen years ago, when we said that the State would never try itself, as we have now seen”.

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The Euro-Order

Speaking of exporting repression against the Basques, here you have another example courtesy of Behatokia's bulletin. Sadly, since the European Union renounced to its principle of being the Europe of the peoples to become the Europe of the mega-states seems like in this case the Spanish State will succeed at expanding its persecution of Basque activists to the whole of Europe:

THREE BASQUE YOUTHS FACED THE EURO-ORDER

A court in Pau refused the extradition request made by the Spanish authorities against three youths from Lapurdi (a Basque province under French administration). Haritza Galarraga, Amaia Rekarte and Yves Machicote, members of the youth organisation SEGI It was included in the European list of terrorist organisations due to Spanish insistence, but carries out completely legal and transparent activities in the French state.

Judge Baltasar Garzón, who made the extradition request, continues in his attempt to extend the criminalisation of Basque social, civil and political organisations to the French state, harassing the public representatives of these organisations. The specific motive for rejecting this extradition request is based upon the fact that some of the crimes they were charged with would have taken place in French territory, so these three people could be tried in the French state, if it came to it.

This is the first time a Euro-order extradition is refused in the French state due to reasons of political persecution. The contradiction that exists in assessing identical events in different ways in Spain or in France due to political interests is evident.

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The Josu Lariz Case

As you may know by now, Spain is trying to export its repressive strategy against the Basque people all over the world. Well, according to this report by Behatokia seems like for once, they've failed:

ARGENTINE JUDGE REFUSES TO EXTRADITE JOSU LARIZ IRIONDO

On 17 June 2004, Federal Judge Claudio Bonadio refused extradition for José Lariz Iriondo, a Basque political exile being held in Argentina. After depositing bail of 10,000 Argentine pesos, Josu regained his freedom provisionally, as there is the possibility that the prosecutor will appeal to the Supreme Court of Justice.

The extradition request made by the Spanish authorities was based upon events that took place at the beginning of the eighties and which, as was proven in the trial had prescribed. Nevertheless, the proceedings turned into a trial of the Spanish state and the lack of guarantees for Basque citizens linked in various ways to the Basque political conflict. The testimonies given by the witnesses for the defence, people with widely acknowledged prestige, were especially relevant. They denounced the conditions in which Basque political prisoners live in Spanish jails, as well as the rights violations being suffered by the Basque people. Among these witnesses, we could underline the Argentine Nobel Peace Prize, Adolfo Pérez Esquivel; the president of the American Jurist Association, Beniusz Smucler; the Chief Editor of Resumen Latinoamericano, Carlos Aznarez; and Herman Schiller, from the Jewish Movement for Human Rights. The UN Special Rapporteur on the Question of Torture sent a letter to the court in order to explain his appraisal of the situation of torture in the Spanish state.

Josu is currently trying to regularise his personal situation in Argentina and to obtain political refuge.

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Committee Against Torture

This information was featured at Behatokia's bulletin:

The new CAT president calls for measures against torture

In one of his first public appearances he expressed his support for the UN Rapporteur Theo Van Boven following his visit to the Spanish state

Fernando Mariño Menéndez, a Law Professor in Public International Law at the Universidad Carlos III in Madrid and the Vice-president of the Federation of Associations for the Defence and Promotion of Human Rights, was appointed president of the UN Committee Against Torture -CAT- on May 3. In one of his first public appearances as the president of the highest international organisation for the prevention of torture, he expressed his support for the UN Rapporteur, Theo Van Boven, following his visit to the Spanish state in October last year, whose presentation during the session of the UN Human Rights Commission in March this year was followed by a bitter controversy due to the Spanish authorities’ belligerent attitude.

Precisely the Spanish Federation of Associations for the Defence and Promotion of Human Rights, an NGO of which the new CAT president is a member, denounced the Spanish authorities’ reaction questioning the credibility of the Rapporteur’s report and denying the events he listed in his report, considering “his recommendations for the prevention of torture and ill treatment to be positive”.

In an interview, Mariño Menéndez underlined the importance of introducing practical and efficient measures to safeguard detainees, such as limiting incommunicado detention, recording interrogation and access to strict medical control conducted by a doctor chosen by the detainee. He also talked of the need for “humanitarian criteria to prevail during incarceration, in terms of the distance between the jails and the prisoner’s families” in reference to the penitentiary policy being applied to Basque prisoners.

Mariño Menéndez was already a CAT member when the November 2001 session, in which the situation of torture in the Spanish state was assessed, took place. Similar recommendations were made in this session. In that case the Spanish expert was unable to actively participate in the session because the regulations prevent experts from taking part in the assessment of their own country.

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AI and Torture

This report comes to us thanks to Behatokia:

Amnesty International annual report and visit to the Spanish state

“I am concerned about the tendency to torture detainees in relation to ETA”

Irene Khan, the president of Amnesty International, recently visited the Spanish state, where she made statements like the one above, which make it quite clear that this organisation does not believe torture has been eradicated in the Spanish state. Both in reference to the annual report and during her visit to the Spanish and Gasteiz parliaments, Khan expressed her concern about the situation of Human Rights in the Spanish state.

Annual report

AI presented their annual report where they include a number of matters for concern. Under the telling headline, “Crisis in the Basque Country” AI lists several incidents that question whether freedom of speech and reunion are a reality in the Basque Country, including the closure of newspapers, banning of political parties, etc. They expressed their concern about the closure of newspapers, as “this very serious measure happens in other countries such as Zimbabwe and Russia”.

AI also referred to the many torture complaints received, especially those made by the staff members of the closed newspaper “Egunkaria”, and stated “the best way to protect the state from false claims is to provide greater guarantees”, and expressed their fears that the reaction by the government, which insists upon denying the existence of torture, “may create a climate of impunity whereby detainees and prisoners are afraid to denounce acts of torture and ill treatment”. They criticised the fact that there have been no moves forward on the issue of torture and remembered the recommendations made by the international organisation CPT, which include putting an end to incommunicado detention and detainees’ right to have contact with a doctor and lawyer of their choice. They also underlined the fact that the government, rather than abolishing incommunicado detention, has actually prolonged its duration.

Visit to the parliament in Gasteiz

The president of AI, Irene Khan, travelled to the Basque Country a few days after presenting the annual report and met with the Regional Parliament Human Rights Commission. There she expressed her concern, saying that “although torture is not systematic, it occurs often enough for authorities to have to take it as a serious problem” and any person’s right to protection from “any abuse of power by either the Basque government or the Spanish one”. The three-party alliance made up of PNV, EA and IU praised Khan’s statements, despite the fact that shortly before, they had voted in parliament to prevent the Ertzaintza having to implement the recommendations made by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Issue of Torture, which include ending the use of incommunicado detention. As to the period of incommunicado detention, Khan stated it “generates an environment that favours torture, or at any rate, increases the possibilities of torture happening and we have established this”. Finally, she stated that “eradicating torture is a matter of political will”.

Criticism of the Spanish government

The new Spanish Minister of the Interior (Home Office Secretary), López Aguilar, declared that “torture complaints are always false, not in most cases; in one hundred percent of the cases” in the presence of Irene Khan, and she answered by saying that “denial feeds the cycle of torture”. During the press conference where she explained the results of her visit, the AI representative stated that “credibility in human rights issues abroad will depend on how the issues are dealt with at home. There should be no imbalances between what is said abroad and what is done at home”. With regard to López Aguilar’s statements she said that “AI, the UN and the Committee for the Prevention of Torture have all documented serious claims again and again”.

TAT, the Basque organisation against torture also expressed their indignation about the Minister’s statements. According to TAT, “the statements are a clear message to the torturers: carry on regardless, we are here to cover up for you”. They remembered how those in government have always denied the existence of torture and tried to discredit those who have been brave enough to denounce it. They gave examples of people who have denounced having been victims of this terrible practice have been tried, whilst those charged with torture were promoted or given pardons.

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