Fighting extradition to Spain from Ireland

MOTHER OF BASQUE PRISONER FERMIN VILA MITXELENA SPEAKS TO AN PHOBLACHT | FEARS FOR SAFETY, HOPES FOR PEACE PROCESS

Fermin’s father and mother travelled to Belfast

FERMIN VILA MITXELENA is a Basque political prisoner currently fighting extradition from Ireland while being held in Maghaberry Prison, just outside Belfast, for the past 18 months.

Speaking in Basque to An Phoblacht in Belfast, his parents told of their experience of having to travel hundreds of miles to visit Fermin, their feelings after seeing their son after ten years, and what levels of the support the families and friends are receiving both at home in the Basque Country and in Belfast.

Fermin’s mother, Maria Angeles Mitxelena, said:

“It has been ten years since we saw Fermin. What was constantly on our minds was, ‘Is he okay?’ We listened constantly to news reports, what other people were saying about where he might be, but it was constant uncertainty.

“There were definitely opposing feelings on seeing him again. We were ecstatic in knowing he was safe and well and being able to hold and hug our son again. Nobody could believe that this was happening.

“Against that was the feeling that he had been arrested and our initial thoughts were that he would be extradited straightaway. In a legal sense we didn’t know the process in Ireland but from a Spanish justice perspective we knew of many cases of torture in custody.”

 ‘Our family have receive a huge amount of support in Belfast. Many people see the similarity of many republican families having to travel to England to visit loved ones’

Fermin Vila Mitxelena

The family has faced a daunting journey coming to Belfast, given the language barrier and not having travelled to Ireland before.

“We were apprehensive to start with as we didn’t know exactly what we were going to find in Belfast. We were especially concerned with regards to the language barrier as we had no English or Irish.

“However, the Belfast Basque Solidarity Committee and those close to the committee offered their support for translation, accommodation and transport to and from the court or prison, and they kept in touch all the time. This was invaluable and hugely reassuring and comforting.

“There has been huge support at home in the Basque Country as well. Organisations such as Askatasuna help with the issue of political prisoners and, along with the community and neighbours, they have offered financial and emotional support.

“The worst thing is still the uncertainty if he is to be extradited. But always at the back of your mind is what happens if he does get extradited?

 ‘We know prisoners are a difficult issue for many but from the experience of the Irish Peace Process we know it is something that can be resolved and prisoners can play a positive role in the overall process’

Things, however, have taken a positive turn in the Basque Country with the armed organisation ETA announcing a permanent ceasefire and an international group which saw Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams TD along with others coming together to promote the Basque peace process.

“There are changes happening in the Basque Country. The recent success of the new coalition party Bildu in the elections, the recent international conference in which Gerry Adams and other prominent politicians took part in, as well as the unilateral step by ETA, they have created hope among Basque people and there is a buzz that we can positively affect our own futures now in a peace process.”

Speaking of Belfast Sinn Féin MLA Pat Sheehan, with whom the family stay during their time in Belfast, she said:

“Our family have receive a huge amount of support in Belfast. Many people see the similarity of many republican families having to travel to England to visit loved ones.

“With Basque prisoners’ families, a common worry is that the Spanish authorities will attempt to push the prisoner issue far down the agenda of negotiations. Given that there are over 800 political prisoners, some of whom are terminally ill, this issue is a priority.

“We know it is a difficult issue for many but from the experience of the Irish Peace Process we know it is something that can be resolved. And prisoners can play a positive role in the overall process.”