MORE ARRESTS AS REPRESSION CONTINUES IN BASQUE COUNTRY

The Spanish Supreme Court continued with its suppression of the left wing Basque nationalist movement last week, by arresting the leadership teams of two new political parties.

D2M Aldaketa Democrazia 2 (Democracy 2 Million) and Askatasuna was accused by Spanish investigating magistrate, Baltazar Garzon, of being a front for banned political party Batasuna, which was outlawed in 2003 and its leaders arrested. Both parties were planning to field candidates in the Basque elections next month and it was expected that D2M would stand candidates at the European Elections this summer.

The Spanish Supreme Court have banned a number of Basque political parties, youth groups and newspapers over the last few years, accusing them of having links with Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA) and/or Batasuna. Spanish courts have argued that Batasuna was the political mouthpiece of ETA and have used this as a pretext to ban other groups that the Spanish state perceives as a threat.

Before Batasuna was made illegal in 2003 it held 12% of the votes in the Basque Autonomous Community. Last year two other major political parties in the Basque Country were banned and its leadership team arrested. Both Basque Nationalist Action/Acción Nacionalista Vasca (EAE-ANV) and Euskal Herrialdeetako Alderdi Komunista (EHAK) were outlawed despite both having a large number of elected representatives across the Basque Country, including members in the Basque and Navarran Parliaments.

Spain was called before the United Nations Human Rights Committee in October 2008, for its failure to meet its failure to meet obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and was asked specifically to justify its «numerous violations of the freedom of expression, on grounds of fear of terrorism», in particular in the Basque Country.

The week following the arrests (23rd January) eight organisers of the D2M and Askatasuna political parties were jailed. It is expected that their political parties will be outlawed soon, thereby starving thousands of the Basque electorate a vote for their preferred political candidate.

Writing from the Basque Country, the League's General Secretary, said:

"Political and democratic state repression here is a fact of life and affects many hundreds of people. Every week the relatives and friends of Basque prisoners line the streets in a silent vigil.

J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League

02/02/09