Laura Riera, syndicalist squatter and class war prisoner

iberia | represión / presos | comunicado de prensa Saturday April 07, 2007 12:31 by coyote

Since 2001 Laura Riera, a 27 year old resident of Terrassa, Spain has been a prisoner of the Spanish State under fascist inspired anti-terrorism laws widely criticized by international human rights organizations. At the time of her arrest Laura was a member of Assemblea d'Okupes de Terrassa, a squatters union affiliated with the local federation of the revolutionary syndicalist CGT and active in local feminist and anti-fascist collectives.

After a brutal arrest and imprisonment and a trial marred by irregularities Laura was convicted of a charge of aiding a group of armed Basque nationalists in an attack on a ruling class political party. Ironically, she was found not quilty of a charge of cooperating with an illegally armed group. She has insisted on her total innocence of both charges and stressed that an alleged confession was obtained under duress. She is currently serving a nine year sentence. Since the trial, the persecution has continued. Forced prison transfers, restrictions on visitation and denials of rights extended to other prisoners are among the grievances cited by the CGT.

The CGT states that they regard the prosecution as an attack on alternative social movements in Catalunya, particularly the Assemblea d'Okupes de Terrassa, defend not only Laura's innocence but her lifestyle and militance and stand in solidarity with her family.
Laura continues her struggle for justice inside the prison with hunger strikes in defense of her rights and those of other prisoners and in the courts with a union attorney.

Please send messages of support to
Laura Riera Valenciano CENTRO PENITENCIARIO DE VALENCIA
Ctra. N-340, km. 225 46220 Picassent (VALENCIA)

Confederació General del Treball de Catalunya
Via Laietana, 18, planta 9
08003-BARCELONA
Tel. 933 103 362 Fax 933 107 110
E-mail: spccc@cgtcatalunya.cat