15 March 2001 Edition
Spanish judge targets Basque leader
Judge Garzón is already planning his next operation against the Basque pro-independence movement and this time his target seems to be Euskal Herritarrok (EH) spokesman Arnaldo Otegi. The attorney general for the Spanish Audiencia National (special court) backed Garzón's assumption that Otegi had induced youth organisation Haika to crime and vandalism.
Ógra Shinn Féin organised a picket on the Spanish embassy in Dublin on Saturday, 10 March to protest the arests of the Basque youth leaders. Ógra Shinn Féin National Organiser, Carrickmacross Councillor Matt Carthy, has called for their immediate release
Haika is the largest youth organisation in the Basque Country and, with over 3,000 members, has widespread support.
On Tuesday 6 March, 15 members of the national Executive of Haika were arrested on Garzón's orders. Since then, the organisation has been declared illegal and the 15 young people, whose ages range from 20 to 25, have been accused of membership of ETA, the only evidence being Garzón's conclusions.
In Otegi's case, the attorney had to apply to the Basque Supreme Court to charge the EH leader, as he is a member of the Basque Parliament.
The Basque Supreme Court could also consider acting against the four members of EH, the general secretary of the trade union LAB and the spokespersons for two of the political prisoners support groups, Senideak and Gestoras Pro-Anmistia, who attended a press conference organised by Haika on Wednesday 7 March, hours after the arrest of its executive. Asier Tapia, the young man who addressed the press on behalf of Haika, was arrested immediately after and is also facing charges of ETA membership.
Otegi described Garzón's accusations as ``absolutely ridiculous'' and pointed out that the judge's real intentions are to turn EH into a ``clandestine organisation''. He added, that despite the continuous repression, ``the political position of the Basque nationalist left will not move even a millimetre''.
Ógra Shinn Féin organised a picket on the Spanish embassy in Dublin on Saturday, 10 March to protest the arests of the Basque youth leaders. Ógra Shinn Féin National Organiser, Carrickmacross Councillor Matt Carthy, has called for their immediate release
Haika is the largest youth organisation in the Basque Country and, with over 3,000 members, has widespread support.
On Tuesday 6 March, 15 members of the national Executive of Haika were arrested on Garzón's orders. Since then, the organisation has been declared illegal and the 15 young people, whose ages range from 20 to 25, have been accused of membership of ETA, the only evidence being Garzón's conclusions.
In Otegi's case, the attorney had to apply to the Basque Supreme Court to charge the EH leader, as he is a member of the Basque Parliament.
The Basque Supreme Court could also consider acting against the four members of EH, the general secretary of the trade union LAB and the spokespersons for two of the political prisoners support groups, Senideak and Gestoras Pro-Anmistia, who attended a press conference organised by Haika on Wednesday 7 March, hours after the arrest of its executive. Asier Tapia, the young man who addressed the press on behalf of Haika, was arrested immediately after and is also facing charges of ETA membership.
Otegi described Garzón's accusations as ``absolutely ridiculous'' and pointed out that the judge's real intentions are to turn EH into a ``clandestine organisation''. He added, that despite the continuous repression, ``the political position of the Basque nationalist left will not move even a millimetre''.