O Snodaigh - EU decision on Batasuna flies in face of democracy

national | miscellaneous | news report Friday June 06, 2003 09:59 by Sean

Sinn Féin TD Aenghus Ó Snodaigh today stated that the decision by the EU to put Herri Batasuna on the Black list of organisations it suspects has links with terrorism flies in the face of democracy.

Euskal Herria(the Basque Country) has seen a systematic campaign of curtailing the rights of the Basque people. Yesterday the EU officially backed this campaign by adding Batasuna to above mentioned list. Until now Batasuna was illegal in the Spanish state but legal in the French state.

For immediate release: 5th June 2003

Sinn Féin Spokesperson on International and EU Affairs Aengus Ó Snodaigh has condemned the decision by EU Interior Ministers to add Batasuna, a Basque political party, to the list of organisations it suspects has links with terrorism. The decision was made at the request of a Spanish government that has been waging an accelerating ideological war against Basque culture, language and independence movements.

The Dublin South-Central TD said: "Everyone with an interest in seeing a peaceful solution to the problems in the Euskal Herria (The Basque Country) will regret this decision. The EU has been conned into doing the dirty work of a Spanish administration, which has continually displayed absolute contempt for the democratic process and for the Basque people. The threat to peace and democracy in Euskal Herria does not come from democratically elected Batasuna but from the Spanish Government.

"The meaning of democracy for Prime Minister Aznar includes the banning of political parties, the closure of newspapers and radio stations, the prosecution of culture and language activists, the imprisonment of the executive of Basque youth organisations and the ongoing and systematic abuse and torture of political prisoners, repeatedly denounced by human rights organisations and just as repeatedly ignored.

"Sinn Féin joins tens of thousands of Basques in expressing our continued support for Batasuna and the struggle for independence and socialism in Euskal Herria." ENDS

Aurrera Euskal Herria.