US civil rights icon Angela Davis stopped from visiting Arnaldo Otegi (Video)

ANGELA DAVIS tried to visit Basque leader Arnaldo Otegi in Logroño Prison last Sunday (7 February) but was stopped at the prison gates by Spanish Military Police despite her having fulfilled all the legal requirements in December. Otegi is due to be released on 1 March.

Angela (pictured) had gone to the prison with Amaia Izko, spokesperson for Sortu, the Basque party of which Arnaldo Otegi is Secretary General, and Basque artist Fermin Muguruza. Angela Davis was received by Arnaldo Otegi's family who presented her with a small token of their gratitude.

After the refusal, Angela Davis gave a press conference at the prison gates, reaffirming her solidarity with Arnaldo and all Basque political prisoners. The event was covered by Basque and Spanish media and made the news across the world.

Later, that Sunday evening, a solidarity festival was organised by Fermin Muguruza as part of the “Free Otegi, Free Them All” campaign, under the title “Angela Davis is our Friend” (the title was based on one of his historical songs). Every ticket had been sold 10 days in advance and a packed concert hall listened to several very well-known Basque artists and intellectuals.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time Arnaldo's visitors have been refused at the prison gate.

Three MEPs were refused entrance in 2013 and German MP Andrej Hunko was refused and had to appeal to the Spanish Ambassador in Berlin to get permission. He later declared: “I want to say that I have visited a lot of prisons and not even in Turkey or Kazakhstan have I had to live a situation like that.”

You can watch Angela's statement in Logroño here.

Watch Angela's intervention in the theatre here.