State of exception in the Basque Country

international | rights, freedoms and repression | news report

Wednesday February 13, 2008 11:25

by Irish Basque Committees

irishbasques at hotmail dot com

Two political parties banned and 14 prominent members of Batasuna arrested.

After the arrest and imprisonment of Batasuna spokespersons Pernando Barrena and Patxi Urrutia last week threats became reality and the two remaining legal Basque left pro-independence parties ANV and EHAK were banned by the Spanish government.

Few days after 14 welknown members of Batasuna were arrested. They have been accused of being part of a new Batasuna's national commitee after the last one was imprisoned last October.

In the meantime a national demonstration called to denounce this state of exception last Sunday in Bilbao was banned and attacked by the Basque-Spanish police.

A general strike has been called for the 14th of February.

The Irish Basque Committees have called picket lines on the 23rd of February:

Derry 2pm Free Derry corner
Belfast 2pm Cultúrlann
Dublin 12pm GPO
Cork 2pm Daunt's Square

You can read more about the last week's news from the Basque struggle for self-determination at:

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Comments (3 of 3)

Stop repression!

by jose

Wed Feb 13, 2008 21:47

Tomorrow the basque country are in Huge,in the ultimate days the spanish goverment only used the represión,baned,tortures...

Freedom for the basque country!!!

Solidarity is neccesary.

Saoirse/askatasuna!!!!!

report on "General Strike" in the Basque Country - Valentines Day 2008

by kisses

Thu Feb 14, 2008 23:22

2,000 people assembled in Bilbao to protest the recent measures taken by Spanish prosecutor Garzon against the two Basque independence parties EHAK and ANV. The Spanish supreme court did not accept all his measures but did disallow central state funding to the parties, froze their accounts & pretty much else falling short of expelling their current elected representatives from their institutional positions.

In response the Basque independence left had called for a general strike today. There was some debate as to the legality of the call - the day at end saw a few incidents, some arrests & though described by the Basque independence left as an "important echo" & "Success" it was dismissed the Basque autonomous government as "insignificant" and didn't merit any attention from the central Spanish goverment who preferred to talk about the arrest of 3 suspected Jihadists in Vitoria-Gasteiz the capital of the Basque country this morning under suspicion of raising funds for Yihad & distributing Yihadist propaganda. (link english http://www.eitb24.com/new/en/B24_86593/politics/POLICE-...ists/ ) Their case shall be of interest to anyone who has followed the jihad commandment question & is aware of a British court decision yesterday to quash convictions of 4 British muslims charged with similar offenses under section 57 of the UK Terrorism act 2000 (the "handbook" clause).

Links English -
Basque TV news platform
http://www.eitb24.com/new/en/B24_86604/politics/GENERAL...ourt/
http://www.eitb24.com/new/en/B24_86143/politics/AGAINST...eral/

Links Castillian -
statement from LAB who jointly called the strike
http://www.labsindikatua.org/sarrera/albisteak/folder_e...09alb

statement from the remaining desk of Batasuna on the last rounds of detetions -
http://www.gara.net/paperezkoa/20080213/62605/es/La-Mes...pcion

Euskal Herria Aurrera!

Fri Feb 15, 2008 18:09

One link with a lot of information and pictures of the Huge in the Basque country:

http://laactualidadmanda.blogspot.com

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State of exception in the Basque Country

Comments (3 of 3)