State repression of the Basque movement

Statement by Alternative Libertaire

Alternative libertaire is opposed to the process (leaded by Spanish government and supported by French government) of forbidding Basque youth movement Segi. Indeed, Segi has been recently qualified as a "terrorist organization" by the Spanish justice.

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State repression of the Basque movement

Alternative libertaire is opposed to the process (led by the Spanish government and supported by French government) of banning the Basque youth movement Segi. Indeed, Segi has been recently qualified as a "terrorist organization" by the Spanish justice. Segi, a pro-independence and revolutionary left-wing organization, had already undergone two prohibitions, along with prison sentences for several of their members.

After the settlement of European orders asking for simple searches, Spanish police are allowed to arrest Basque militants belonging to political or trade-union organizations (judged to be close to the ETA army) in France. So, the prohibition of Segi will have consequences in Spain and France. This repression is merely a consequence of attacks on the Basque movement since 1999: the most important left-wing Basque movement, Batasuna, was banned in 2003, as was Segi (twice), and also associations supporting prisoners and "Egunkaria", the only daily newspaper in Euskara. The banning of Batasuna was already a very serious attack on political rights: premises were seized, the organization was sentenced to a fine of 24 million euro because of the justice statement in case of riots, demonstrations were forbidden. Cases of Basque militants tortured by the Spanish police have been denounced by civil rights organisations.

Cooperation in the fight against terrorism between Paris and Madrid was confirmed by converging views displayed when Sarkozy and the Spanish Popular Party (PP) met. The latter is expecting a return to power on the basis of the reinforcement of their security policies.

Alternative libertaire wants the Spanish government to stop the repression and legal actions against Segi, and to release immediately those militants that have been arrested.

Alternative libertaire (France),
24/01/2007