Basque prisoner on hunger strike

Spanish Special Criminal Court Audiencia Nacional has decided to keep Basque political prisoner Iñaki de Juana Chaos in prison despite doctors’ warnings that, due to the state of his health, he could die any time. De Juana has spent nearly 90 days on hunger strike and his health has rapidly deteriorated in spite of the force feeding techniques being used by doctors under Spanish courts’ orders.

This is De Juana’s second hunger strike. The first, who lasted well over 60 days, ended last summer after receiving assurances that he would not be further punished for the content of two articles published in Basque daily Gara. However, De Juana was sentenced to a further 12 years imprisonment. His lawyers have appealed the sentence and they have also asked the Audiencia National to allow de Juana to be released due to his health condition but also that of his mother, who was also very ill. De Juana’s mother, Esperanza Chaos, died on Saturday, 27 January 2007, a day after the Audiencia announced it would keep De Juana in jail.