solidarity with basque revolutionary youth

national | rights, freedoms and repression | opinion/analysis Wednesday March 09, 2005 12:14 by irish basque committees irishbasques at hotmail dot com

For civil and political rights! Onwards basque youth!

654 years in prison for 42 basque youth activists. Solidarity petition.

FOR CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS - ONWARDS BASQUE YOUTH!!

- It has been 7 years since the Spanish State took a step ahead in the repression against Basque Country and began the attacks on organizations and Basque mass media. The consequences of the show trials (case 18/98) are known very well in Basque society: the processing of more than 200 people, most of them arrested and jailed; the criminalization and ilegalizacion of numerous organizations and mass media; denuntiations of torture. This year will start the second phase of this unjustifiable attack with show trials we mentioned above.

- Case 18/01 is directed towards youth organizations Jarrai, Haika and Segi and since it began in March of 2001, 42 young people have been processed, the great majority of them jailed and the three organizations banned. It is a mass trial based on lies and legal irregularities: they propagate the notion "Everything is ETA" without proof, they don’t show any evidence of crime, this proof does not hold water and the only accusation is to be a member of the mentioned organizations. Now, the National Special Court wants to accelerate the process for a very clear reason: to prevent the release of 9 young prisoners who are scheduled to be released after being held 4 years (wich is the maximum legal period on remand without trial). The Public prosecutor of the National Special Court has requested 654 years in total between these 42 young people.

- 654 years for the acussed of Jarrai, Haika and Segi for working to defend the rights of basque youth and the Basque Country and to express a legitimate political objective. They want to impose upon us a punishment of 654 years for practicing the right to organize ourselves and to struggle. This is the worst political attack on civil and political righs in recent times.
-They want to impose the punishment of 654 years upon the Basque youth. For working for better living conditions for youth, for defending self-run places for youth, for promoting alternative ways of life, being conscious objectors to the army, for supporting young artists’ work. 654 years for organizing and promoting the youth’s dreams and desires.

- We are facing an attack on the Basque Country. Any Basque youth who desire to be free is a target. By punishing young people they affectively denie the right of political participation, the freedom of expression and opinion, the right of association and organization and the ideological freedom that appeal to the youth and in general all citizens. For that reason, it is imperative upon us to give an answer.

-Now is the time to defend Basque youth. We need international support to show the Spanish State they can’t continue with repression. What we need is a political resolution of the political conflict based on the right to self-determination wich will bring peace and democracy to the Basque Country.

-Sign this petition on: www.gazteriaurrera.org . Daily news on the trial on: www.berria.info (english language edition).

Join the protests at 3pm saturday 12th of march at GPO Dublin and City Hall Belfast.

Irish Basque Committees-Coistí na mBascach-Éireannach

irishbasques@hotmail.com