South Armagh Basque solidarity night with Senator Urko Aiartza

Since ETA declared a ceasefire, more and more people are joining the freedom movement and demanding that Spain respond positively to the opportunity for peace

A BASQUE SOLIDARITY event hosted in Ti Chulainn Cultural Centre on Saturday 30 November heard local Sinn Féin MP Conor Murphy and Senator Urko Aiartza speak of the longstanding links between the people of south Armagh and the Basque people.

Conor Murphy said:

“In south Armagh we have always striven to offer help and assistance to others involved in independence struggles and so that we Irish can learn from other nations. There have long been links between the Basques and republicans in this area and we have many times hosted Basque people here.

“The oppression of the Basque nationality by the Spanish must be seen to be believed and yet the demand for independence is stronger than ever. Since ETA declared a ceasefire, more and more people are joining the freedom movement and demanding that Spain respond positively to the opportunity for peace.

“Regrettably, the Spanish Government seems reluctant to embrace this opportunity, as demonstrated by the recent mass arrest of 18 members of the prisoner support group Herrira. These arrests prompted a spontaneous protest rally which saw over 60,000 people on the streets of Bilbao.”

Basque Senator Urko Aiartza gave a political update on the current situation:

“Unfortunately, there is no peace process in the Basque Country in the same sense as the Irish talk about their peace process. The Spanish simply do not have the political will to embrace the huge potential for a peaceful settlement which exists now in the Basque Country.”

Senator Aiartza also spoke of the 600 Basque political prisoners currently dispersed in jails throughout Spain and France.

“The issue of our prisoners is one of the most important topics in the Basque Country at the moment. Harsh sentences and incarceration hundreds of miles away from loved ones is the experience of the vast majority of Basque people who are convicted of political crimes. We will continue to highlight the plight of our prisoners to ensure the world knows their situation.

“We have had some success recently when the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Spain’s enforcement of the ‘Parot Doctrine’ (which in effect meant that people could be sentenced to serve longer than the maximum without taking remissions into account) was unlawful. This ruling has led to the release of some 50  of the longest-serving Basque political prisoners.”

Basque people living in Dublin and Belfast attended on the night and for many it was their first visit to south Armagh, where they enjoyed the traditional music in Ti Chulainn and the south Armagh hospitality.