ETA weekend bid to bolster peace process

» John Hedges

An Phoblacht Editor

Basque political prisoner Arkaitz Bellón found dead in his prison cell

THE Basque armed resistance group ETA reaffirmed at the weekend its commitment to the peace process with a number of pledges to aid progress.

ETA announced the definitive cessation of armed activity more than two years ago (October 20th 2011) but the Spanish Government, rather than embrace the peace process, has launched police raids on political and social organisations in the Basque Country and has been particularly inflexible in relation to political prisoners.

Despite this, the Basque Peace Process news website has reported that, on Saturday, ETA “made public a communiqué in which they positively assessed the latest political events in the Basque Country”.

ETA considered “advances on the path towards the resolution of the conflict” following a number of events:-

• The creation on December 23rd of the Commission to Promote the Peace Process;

• The positive stance taken by the Collective of Basque Political Prisoners statement of December 28th;

• The massive demonstration (pictured) that on January 11th defied a Madrid court order and filled the streets of Bilbao with 130,000 people (including the major political parties and the bulk of the trade union movement in the Basque Country) in support of the Tantaz Tanta initiative in defence of the rights of Basque political prisoners.

Basque Peace Process says that ETA has committed itself to:-

Make significant contributions to nurture the process without delay;

A willingness to take part in conversations and negotiations that can be utilized with the objective of reaching a resolution and peace;

Offer their point of view and to introduce in the dialogue agenda the questions “that directly affect their organisation which are among the ingredients for an integral resolution”;

Make contact with the Commission to Promote the Peace Process which came from the Social Forum.

ETA ends its communiqué by affirming that in these important moments it is the job of everyone to build a future in peace and freedom.

❑ BASQUE political prisoner Arkaitz Bellón (pictured) was found dead in his prison cell last week at the prison of Puerto de Santa Maria I (Cadiz), more than a thousand kilometres from his home.

Arkaitz, from Elorrio, who was 36 years old, was found in his bed on February 5th during a count after a rest following lunch. Prison authorities say his death “points to natural causes” but they will carry out a more detailed investigation into the causes of his death.

His lawyers and family have petitioned for a doctor that they trust to be present at the autopsy.

Arkaitz Bellón spent 13 years in prison for acts of sabotage and had the date for his release set for May.

– Basque Peace Process