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

.... ... .

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.

.... ... .

A Mexican With Dignity

Marcela Briseño, director of the Reclusorio Norte refused to allow Garzon and his sidekick Molina to enter the premises, and when the PGR (Mexican version of the FBI) ushered them in she ordered them to be stamped on the hand which offended Garzon who decided to leave.

The hearing took place but the two Basques that were interrogated used the rights given to them by the Mexican constitution and did not answer any of the questions prepared by Garzon, a foreign judge. By the time the third Basque was summoned the head of the Organized Crime unit in Mexico, Mario Arzabe decided to cancel the proceedings.

Arzabe is a Mexican with no dignity, good thing there is a few left like Marcela Briseño.

.... ... .

Anti-Torture Demo

Today at Berria English:

Anti-torture demo organised for February 14

In the last 25 years torture has been “adorned and refined” say those calling the demo, “but it has not disappeared”

Iban Iza – DONOSTIA (San Sebastian)

A group of citizens who have endured torture during the last 25 years have organised a demonstration against it for February 14 in Donostia. In their appearance before the media in Donostia yesterday those calling the demo said they wanted to draw attention to the fact that the practice of torture has not disappeared during the last 25 years.

“They have refined and improved torture, but it has not disappeared; and 25 years later they carry on the same way,” said Maite Golmaio, the mother of Xabier Kalparsoro, who died at the police station of Indautxu, Bilbo in September 1993. Golmaio recalled, “It is 25 years since the Spanish Constitution was passed. 25 years to consolidate a situation of continuity in the Spanish State, 25 years to adorn, refine and improve the torture of the Franco era cells. But we knew that the situation would not be solved,” she went on. “Back in November 1979 the then Spanish Interior Minister Ibañez Freire said that the tortures were lies.” Since then, said Golmaio, the attitude of the Spanish Governments and autonomous administrations towards torture has been “the same”. She explained: “They have aimed to cover up the misery and corruption of their system by means of the courts and by using constitutional anti-terrorist laws, by seeking out obscure places to carry out their savage interrogations, by using nice codes of conduct for police activities. But torture is being committed today with ever increasing impunity.”

.... ... .

Garzon Stomps Mexico's Sovereignty

On a serious note, to read La Jornada (newspaper from Mexico) is to weep for a country that was once proud of its sovereignty, its stance regarding political asylum.

Yesterday the Clown Judge Baltasar Garzon took part on an arraignment date against the three Mexicans that had been previously exonerated by the Mexican government for lack of evidence as being part of a money laundering operation in behalf of ETA. They are now being accused of the same crime which in Mexico is unconstitutional, Garzon claims that he has now more evidence, too bad, he was supposed to produce during the 60 to 90 days that the Mexicans were held in house arrest. In Mexico you can not be accused of the same crime twice, new evidence or not.

The Mexicans received a court order, a day before to their surprise they were informed that the proceedings would take place at the head quarters of the Organized Crime Unit instead of the previous location at a court. Once there they had one more surprise, no one else than Baltasar Garzon along with an Spanish Magistrate and four police officers were in the room along with the Mexican police chief in charge of the Organized Crime Unit. In Mexico only the prosecution, the accused, the witnesses and the defense attorneys can be present at a hearing. Barbara Zamora demanded that the Spaniards would leave the room, the Mexican police chief had the four Spanish agents removed from the room but allowed Garzon and the Spanish Magistrate to remain which is a constitutional violation of the civil rights of the accused.

Today Baltasar Garzon and his entourage will visit the Reclusorio Norte to be present at a hearing for the five Basques and the Mexican detained there even after they won an appeal on Friday, once again Garzon will violate the Mexican constitution.

What does President Fox is doing about all this? The former central defender for the Centro Vasco soccer team is nowhere to be seen, I'm just wondering what his donostiarra ama (mother) things about all this.

.... ... .

Doctor Supports Otamendi's Claims

Somehow Aznar is going to get away with murder (and torture in this case) despite the mounting evidence that his government (like all the previous governments since 1936) has practiced torture regularly as a method to punish the Basques.

Check out this note published today at Berria English:

Court-appointed doctor’s report coincides with Otamendi’s complaint

The doctor who saw the “Egunkaria” Chief Editor during the time he was being held incommunicado in the hands of the Spanish Civil Guard has testified as a witness before the judge and has confirmed that he received complaints of tortures

Imanol Murua Uria – DONOSTIA (San Sebastian)

The report of the court-appointed doctor who saw Martxelo Otamendi, the Chief Editor of Egunkaria, every day during the time he was being held incommunicado at the Spanish Civil Guard Headquarters in Madrid coincides with the declarations Otamendi made regarding the bad treatment he had endured; the declarations were made shortly after the incommunicado period was over before Juan Del Olmo, the Spanish National Criminal Court judge. Juan Monge, the court-appointed doctor, testified as a witness the day before yesterday before the Provincial Court of Madrid in the Otamendi torture complaints case and confirmed what had been stated in his reports.

According to the National Criminal Court doctor’s reports of February 21 and 22 on his visits to him on very premises of the Civil Guard, Otamendi told him that the Civil Guards had made him do squats and press-ups, had stripped him and had not allowed him sleep, among other things. In the report dated February 23, in contrast, the Court Doctor Monge records that Otamendi had told him that he was “fine” and that he had seemed to be “unforthcoming”. According to the minutes of the declarations that Otamendi made before Judge Juan Del Olmo on the morning of February 25, the civil guards had dragged him out of his cell and threatened to shoot him right there, if he complained to the court-appointed doctor again. This took place after he had told the doctor on February 22 about the bad treatment. Otamendi explained to Del Olmo that this was why he had said “fine” to the doctor the following day, even though the previous day they had subjected him to the same bad treatment including the bag.

.... ... .

Maragall and Carod-Rovira

Today at Berria English:

Maragall sacks Carod-Rovira but does not expel him from Government

He has complied with the PSOE’s orders and has asked the ERC leader to apologise for having met with ETA

Edu Lartzaguren

Yesterday Pasqual Maragall, the President of Catalonia, did not take long to read the statement announcing that he had dismissed his first minister and that he was making him a minister without portfolio. Maragall faithfully complied with the demands the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Party) had made the day before and went a step further: he has asked Josep Lluis Carod-Rovira, the former Catalan “Conseller en cap” or second-ranking Catalan official, to “apologise” for having met with ETA (the armed, pro-Basque independence organisation), without the prior knowledge of the “Generalitat” or Catalan Government.

Carod-Rovira said he had offered his resignation to the President on Monday night. After it was disclosed that he had met with ETA representatives at the beginning of January, there was a torrent of declarations in Spanish and Catalan political circles and in the media. In all this the first words uttered by Maragall were those in yesterday’s statement. Maragall said that, as Carod-Rovira was prepared to assume political responsibility for his initiative, he had accepted “his offer to step down from his position as ‘conseller en cap’”. Maragall announced that Carod-Rovira would be a “minister without portfolio”. He added that he was accepting Carod-Rovira’s resignation “to preserve his government’s credibility”. The president said he would be assuming the responsibilities in the government of the leader of the ERC –Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (Republican Left of Catalonia) – until the work of the Catalan Government could be reorganised.

Strange that in Spain one has to apologize for seeking peace.

.... ... .

Carod-Rovira Resigns

The worst of the worst in Spanish politics came down on Carod-Rovira for daring to find new ways to end the Basque conflict. There are those who do not like peace and will crucify anyone that works towards dialog and understanding.

This note appears today at Yahoo News:

Senior Spanish regional official resigns over ETA meeting
Tue Jan 27,12:49 PM ET Add World - AFP to My Yahoo!

BARCELONA, Spain (AFP) - The deputy leader of the government of Spain's Catalonia region resigned under heavy pressure after admitting having met members of the banned Basque separatist group ETA.

Catalan president Pasqual Maragall accepted the resignation of his deputy, Josep Lluis Carod Rovira, who sparked a political row after admitting meeting in France three weeks ago leaders of ETA, blamed for the deaths of 816 people in the past 35 years in its campaign for an independent Basque country.

According to ABC newspaper, he met Mikel Albizu, also known as Mikel Antza, the head of ETA's political wing, and Jose Antonio Urrutikoetxea Bengoetxea, also known as Josu Ternera, on January 3 and 4 in the south of France.

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar and the head of the Socialist opposition, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, had both demanded the resignation of Carod Rovira.

"I understand perfectly the indignation of all political groups," said Maragall in allusion to Carod Rovira's overture to ETA.

Maragall said that pending the appointment of a new 'conseller en cap' -- the de facto position of regional prime minister in the autonomous Catalan parliament -- Carod Rovira would remain in the government but without portfolio.

The man at the centre of the storm was meanwhile unrepentent.

"I do not want more victims of ETA, nor assassinations or deaths -- that's why I spoke with ETA," Carod Rovira said.

"I am not backing down, nor am I asking forgiveness for my convictions favouring peace and dialogue," he said, insisting he would lead the ERC party into Spain's general election on March 14.

Carod Rovira's leftist and pro-Catalan independence Republican Left (ERC) party only one month ago joined forces with Maragall's Catalan Socialist Party and a hard left ecologist grouping to form a new Catalan government.

Maragall said he had to censure his erstwhile number two.

"He made a serious mistake, and this has prejudiced the credibility of the Catalan government," said Maragall, who in last November's regional election became Catalonia's first left-wing president since the restoration of Spanish democracy in 1975 and the first regional elections in 1980.

But Maragall, who said Carod Rovira would have to answer for his actions before the Catalan parliament, also blasted Aznar's conservative government for in his view "manipulating the press for its own electoral benefit."

It was the pro-government ABC which revealed the ETA meeting in its Monday edition.

In the Basque region itself Carod Rovira's stance was well received in some quarters.

Miren Azkarate, spokesman for the moderate nationalist Basque regional government, said he saw the meeting as "legitimate" while Arnaldo Otegi, spokesman for ETA's banned political wing Batasuna, praised Carod Rovira for having the "political courage to dare to tell the truth instead of hiding it."

Aznar's Popular Party (PP) is currently leading the Socialists in the polls as it seeks a third straight general election victory in just six weeks time.

The PP is being led into the election by Mariano Rajoy, the handpicked successor of Aznar, who has decided to not stand for a third term in office.

.... ... .

Carod-Rovira Admits Meeting

Today at Berria English:

Carod-Rovira admits he met with ETA "to help towards achieving a cease-fire"

He said the ETA leaders had requested the meeting and stressed that he had attended in his capacity as the general secretary of the ERC, and not as a representative of the Catalan Government

Editoria Staff – DONOSTIA (San Sebastian)

Josep Lluis Carod-Rovira, the "Conseller en cap" or second-ranking official of the "Generalitat" or Government of Catalonia and General Secretary of the ERC –Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (Republican Left of Catalonia)– said yesterday that he had held a meeting with ETA (the armed, pro-Basque independence organisation) and confirmed the information disclosed by the Spanish newspaper ABC. Carod-Rovira pointed out that the meeting with the leaders of the armed organisation had been requested by the organisation and had taken place when he was already a member of the Catalan Government. He stressed, however, that he had gone in his capacity as the ERC General Secretary with the aim of "achieving a cease-fire and to contributing towards getting ETA to give up its armed activity".

Carod-Rovira’s appearance aroused a lot of media curiosity. The ERC general secretary did not take any questions and when he appeared before the media was accompanied by four people: Jordi Carbonell, the Chairman of the ERC, Cassia Just, the former priest of Montserrat, August Gil-Matamala, a lawyer, and Salvador Cardus, a sociologist. The four supported Carod-Rovira’s position.

.... ... .

Etxerat and Catalan Parliament

This was published today at Gara:

The president of the Catalan Parliament receives Etxerat

In Geneva they also had a meeting with the Human Rights Commission of the U.N.

Etxerat ended the tour it has been carrying out through Milan, Paris, Brussels, Berlin, Barcelona and Geneva. Eyes have been fixed on happenings in the latter two cities, where they had meetings with the President of the Catalan Parliament and with representatives of the U.N Human Rights Commission.

GARA

DONOSTIA

Barcelona and Geneva were the centre of attention on the last day of the tour that relatives of Basque political prisoners have been carrying out through different European cities. For the duration of this informative tour they have been fasting.

The meeting held by Josu Cerrato and Miren Olaskoaga, representing prisoners' relatives, with the President of the Catalan parliament Ernest Benach (ERC), provoked a flood of criticism from the PP, the Collective of Victims of Terrorism (Covite), the Association of victims of Terrorism (AVT) and the Catalan Association of Victims of Terrorist Organisations (ACVOT).

After the meeting, Benach committed himself to bringing what is known as the Virreina Manifesto to the attention of the political groups that make up the chamber. This manifesto has been signed by 65 different groups and demands “the end to the policy of prisoner dispersal, distancing and isolation of Basque prisoners”.

However, outside these postures, Etxerat completed their agenda which was full of interviews and met with representatives of the UGT and CCOO trade unions; with Joan Herrera, parliamentarian for Initiative for Catalunya- and head of the list for the Spanish elections- Unió Democratica de Catalunya as well as Jordi Miralles of IU, and with members of Nunca Mais. Before the fast ended 500 people came together in the La Virreina square behind the banner “Basque prisoners to the Basque Country”.

.... ... .