Friday, September 2, 2011

State attorney asks 10 years of prison for (Basque) socio-political activities

And the worst is that political judges from the Audiencia Nacional (new Inquisition), who are anything but neutral, will probably agree. 

The 11 citizens from Pamplona and surroundings (Iruñerria) have reckoned they are guilty of using their rights to free association and free expression, in theory enshrined in the Spanish constitution of 1978 but in practice totally abolished for Basques, and defend their right to do so:

We were arrested for working in our neighborhoods and towns in favor of a different social and political model. We have been criminalized, we have been persecuted and now they want send us to jail as punishment for that work, within a savage repressive strategy which aims to paralyze Basque youth.

We are guilty, yes. We acknowledge it. We have denounced with intensity this system that condemns us to misery, we have faced the problems we suffer as young people, we have claimed our rights and we have fought for independence and socialism for the Basque Country. We have done all that in a public grassroots manner, without hiding... We have no reasons to feel shame nor repent, just to be proud of it, and a lot!

The farce political trial will take place in November 4-19, just before the Spanish elections. 

214 young Basques have been arrested (and held incommunicado) for being socio-politically active just since the year 2007. A disproportionate number of them, 79, are from Iruñerria (Pamplona metropolitan area). More than half of those arrested, 134, were punished with prison.  Also more than half have denounced tortures. The bails imposed are typically abusive.

All these people are part of black lists which are activated for political reasons. They can be arrested at any moment for no real reason at all, just that they are socio-politically active and not sheepish.

··> Ateak Ireki[es].

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