Parents et amis de prisonniers et rĂŠfugiĂŠs politiques basques
monthly report
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june The situation of our family and friends in prison worsens day by day. This progressive worsening is visible in the small things that make up the day-to-day, as also in other more serious things. Reductions in visits; loss, again, of rights that were won through years of struggles and complaints; humiliating searches; having to go to exercise individually; obstructions to study; ... the news comes repeatedly, both from Spanish and from French prisons. Their rights are continually violated in attempting to break them and to wear them down, both physically and psychologically. Meanwhile, we continue to suer the consequences of the dispersal, with our rights having also been ignored. On June 15th, our relatives and friends and Basque political exiles held an event in Miarritz, emotive and inspiring, showing their commitment to conflict resolution. But the response received has been clear. Within a few days there have been three arrests, and we, their family, friends, want to show our concern over this attitude. We cannot understand that in what should be a new time, arrests and repressive attitude continue, an attitude which we strongly oppose. We want our family and friends back home!
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The attacks on our family and friends are repeated both within prisons and outside them, but also against us. The statements of the Director General of Spanish Prisons, on June 25, during his appearance at the Congress Commission of the Interior, was a direct attack on the relatives, blaming us for the accidents we experience due to the dispersal. 600 Etxerat considers these statements to be very serious. But on the other hand, also very clarifying and confirming that it is a measure of revenge designed for us. He has shown very little respect and no sensitivity for the 16 who died on the roads or for their relatives. Etxerat has for decades been denouncing the dispersal and exposing its consequences on the relatives: deaths, huge financial costs, physical and economic costs (in some cases even loss of health ...).
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And Director of Jails Yuste considers us responsible. For our part, we must reply to Yuste that communication with relatives and friends in prison is a right, theirs and ours. A right for which the special prison policy makes us pay dearly. Yet another of our rights violated. And we want to make clear that we will continue visiting our imprisoned relatives. And what happens in that hard toll that they require us to pay, never can be our responsibility. It is the responsibility of those who designed this prison policy, of those who maintain it and all of those who remain silent about it. ETXEAN NAHI DITUGU!! (we want you home!).
Etxean nahi ditugu! (Euskera for “We want them home!�-- Translator)
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dispersal 606 basque political prisoners dispersed over 79 prisons 438 Basque political prisoners dispersed over 45 prisons in the Spanish state 128 prisoners dispersed over 28 jails in the French state 17 prisoners in 3 jails in Euskal Herria 4 prisoners in an English jail 1 prisoner in the Six Counties (“Northern Ireland�) 1 prisoner Portugal 10 prisoners on parole, due to serious and incurable illness. 1 Basque prisoner confined to Autun area (French state)
93 prisoners
in jails between 1.000 and 1.100 km from Euskal Herria (the Basque Country)
147 prisoners
in jails between 800 and 1.000 km from Euskal Herria
113 prisoners
in jails between 600 and 800 km from Euskal Herria
133 prisoners
in jails between 400 and 600 km from Euskal Herria
80 prisoners One prisoner
in jails at least 400 km from Euskal Herria confined 900 km from Euskal Herria
6 Basque prisoners in jails in other countries.
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right to health Among the seriously-ill prisoners, the situation of Tafalla Ventura merits special concern, because of the problems being created when receiving the necessary treatment for his illness. In January of this year Ventura was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He has been receiving radiotherapy sessions since May 22nd. The information we have is that Ventura Tomé is forced to remain handcuffed while receiving treatment during these sessions. Another fact also requiring our complaint are the conditions under which the transfer is made to the hospital for radiotherapy sessions. The Guardia Civil attitude towards the Basque prisoner has provoked tension in a number of successive journeys, which in no way promotes the health status of the patient.
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Besides this unjustifiable and unsustainable situation, this means that he is not receiving treatment under the required conditions, so that effectiveness is not being guaranteed. Like any person, he has the right to be treated with dignity, which is what we require in the first instance; to receive the prescribed treatment with dignity and so ensure its effectiveness. We also believe it is imperative that he be transferred from Ventura to Euskal Herria, ensuring the minimum of assistance and support to facilitate his recovery and that dispersal and remoteness, coupled with the facts reported, are not being guaranteed. Moreover, on June 15, at the hearing held in Miarritz by exiled and Basque political exiles, a practical need was also declared: to create a list of seriously-ill exiles in order to resolve their situation. Thus we, relatives of these exiles, consider it vital that this list be created, which would reveal the situation they are facing, and also to take the necessary steps to have their illnesses receive due attention and treatment.
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special measures life sentences paroles In the French state, life sentences are applied in a different way to other states; there is no maximum number of years laid down for the life sentence there. In the French state a prisoner sentenced to life (“perpétuité”) can apply for parole after completing 15 years (or by completing a “security period ” if that measure has been applied to him or her), but it is the Sentences Judge which accedes to the application or who can refuse it – and may continue to refuse it. Some social prisoners have served as long as 50 years in French jails.
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Currently four Basque political prisoners have been sentenced to life in France: Jakes Esnal, Frederik Haranburu and Ion Kepa Parot, have already served 23 years in prison and it was recently also applied to Mikel Karrera. This measure has also been applied de facto to other Basque political prisoners by long sentences, as in the case of Saioa Sanchez, Lorentxa Beyrie or Didier Agerre. In the Spanish state our families, our relatives, our friends were sentenced in their time by the courts. This sentence had a date of commencement and an end date. Since 2006, Decree 197/2006 of the Supreme Court, which, despite being contrary to law applies retroactively, subjects Basque political prisoners to life imprisonment to which they were not sentenced and nor were we.
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Ninety-two Basque prisoners have had their sentences extended by up to 12 years in jail. Of these 92, seventy are still in prison. Decree 197/2006 thus becomes another mechanism of a prison policy employed as an instrument of revenge to cause continuing suffering. This is within a prison policy requiring, for their purposes, carte blanche for violation of rights.
The systematic denial of parole is another of the special measures taken against Basque political prisoners, who are kept in prison until the complete fulfillment of their sentences, systematically rejecting access to probation to those who are eligible for it. monthly report june 2013
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inviolation theofprisons rights other incidents Isolation Isolation or the separation of comrades, preventing all contact between them, is part of the specific regime applied to Basque political prisoners. Although in legislation and in penitentiary norms isolation is a measure applied to very concrete situations and for a restricted period, it is applied to our relatives as a way of life, in addition to other sanctions which they may intend to use as punishment. The Basque political prisoners are dispersed in different jails and in addition to different blocks. In other cases, without being in isolation as such, they are kept apart from their comrades, which we must assume creates a difficult lonely situation. Euskal Herria
Spanish state
Zaballa
Txus Martin
Zaballa Martutene
Urtza Alkorta Gotzone L. de Luzuriaga
Soto del Real
Ibai Peña
Puerto II
Arkaitz Bellon
Córdoba Puerto III
Sergio Polo (Isolation)
Navalcarnero
Asier Rodriguez Sonia Jacinto Garikoitz Mujika
Estremera Foncalent
French state
Zaballa Martutene Joux la Ville Joux la Ville Tarascon Bapaume Bourg en Bresse
Muret Seysses Muret Seysses Fresnes Portugal Monsanto The Six Counties Belfast monthly report june 2013
Dani Pastor
Urtza Alkorta Gotzone L. de Luzuriaga Marian Aramendi Julen Eizagirre Ibai Sueskun Kristina Goirizelaia Ander Mujika
Ohiana Garmendia Marina Bernadó (Preventative) Ekhiñe Izagirre Andoni Zengotitabengoa Fermin Vila
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Hunger strike BORDEAUX-GRADIGNAN PRISON (French State): Basque political prisoners Arkaitz Prisoners and Zuhaitz Errasti Agirregabiria, imprisoned in Bordeaux Grath dignan, went on hunger strike on 13 June. Last week, a “special category” social prisoner escaped from another prison in northern France and since then other prisoners so categorized have been subjected to much harsher measures. This is the case for Arkaitz Agirregabiria, whose rights to visits have been especially affected, having now to be made in poor hearing conditions, which added to the constant noise and traffic of people, prevents satisfactory communication.Moreover, Arkaitz was assaulted by social prisoners. Faced with this situation, the Basque prisoner decided to start a hunger strike, which his comrade Errazti Zuhaitz joined in solidarity. Ten days later, upon Itziar Moreno being transferred to another prison, they
Getting tougher in the jails: FRESNES JAIL (French state): The arrival of a new Director to the jail has resulted in a worsening of the situation. In addition to losing all the rights which they had won solely through years of struggle, he has increased the tension and the provocations are constant. They have also fixed nets over the windows and have transferred them to cells directly over the officers' offices. Ekhiñe Eizagirre now finds herself separated from her comrades. As a protest against these measures, the Basque political prisoners decided to be sent to the punishment cells. On the 12th and 13th the women entered, to be returned to their cells on the 17th; on the 15th the men entered and were returned on the 18th. Their situation remains the same. A LAMA: Permission to have “open” family visits together has been removed from prisoners without children. On May 21st, Kandido Sagarzazu, prisoner from Donosti, was in the gym of Murcia II prison, when he was approached by a prison guard in an unexplained aggressive manner, so that the Basque prisoner chose to ignore him, whereupon the officer gave him a nasty blow to the arm, causing a considerable hematoma. Then Sagarzazu Kandido was taken to isolation cell for 48 hours. His comrade in the jail, Mikel Izpura, carried out a rules infringement in order to be also moved to isolation and show solidarity with Sagarzazu.
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ALGECIRAS: On the 12th June, taking advantage of Unai Fano being in the shower, the officer in charge of security, along with three officers and the service chief entered his cell in order to search it and left all his belongings turned upside down. Upon his return, they allowed him to put on some clothes and took him out of the cell in order to continue the search. On the following day, the whole search pattern was repeated. They justified this through claiming having received an order to that effect but did not show him it. I should be noted that, in order to avoid abuses of any kind, the prisoner should be present in the cell when his belongings are being searched. CORDOBA: After speaking to the Penal Inspecting Judge, the nightly disturbances (carried out by officers), continuously waking up prisoners throughout the night, have ceased. JAEN: Although all the Basque political prisoners are in groups of three in the blocks, a new order makes each enter the exercise yard on their own, contrary to what was done before. Two from each block will go out at different times in the morning and one in the afternoon. NAVALCARNERO: Since the third week in June, Asier Rodrigez is the only political prisoner here. Since then he fasts on Friday and during the rest of the week refuses prison food as a protest against being kept isolated from his comrades. PUERTO III: During the first week of the month, aggressive searches, with dogs, were carried out on Basque political prisoners. On Wednesdays, as part of their campaign to have their comrades removed from the isolation block, they make formal complaints to the prison's management. From now on, they will only be allowed to send out one parcel to their families, instead of the two permitted previously. 1
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SORIA: Up until now, the prisoners could have their monthly “open” visits, their family, parental and intimate visits all on the one day, each following the next. From July onwards, they will have to take these visits separately. They can have a number on the same day, as long as one be in the morning and the other in the afternoon. This forces relatives and friends to make two trips, or at least to many hours waiting in the jail. VALLADOLID: When transferred to this prison, they tried to make Oier Urrutia share a cell with a social prisoners. Upon his refusal, he was sent to solitary confinement.
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Studies There have been various transfers throughout the Spanish state this month for the purpose of sitting examinations (for which prisoners have studied). These examinations may only be held in specific jails, so that prisoners who have studied the relevant courses are subject to these transfers. As usual, on not a few occasions the examining staff attending these jails have encountered serious difficulties in entering to examine the Basque prisoners.
EPPK (Basque Political Prisoners) actions in the jails The Basque political prisoners continue with their campaign “Euskal Presoak Euskal Herrira” (Basque Prisoners to the Basque Country) and in each prison carry out different means of protest; in the majority they refuse prison food or carry out fasts. On the second-to-last Friday of each month they also demand the abolition of decree 197/2006.
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relatives and friends New accident caused by dispersal policy On Friday 7th June, at around 8.30pm (20.30hrs), relatives and friends of Basque prisoners Zigor Blanco, Josu Amantes, Txutxo Gomez and Txomin Troitiño were traveling towards the Curtis (A Coruña) and Bonxe (Lugo) jails. At Astorga, León area, a large dog crossed in front of them which they were unable to avoid and which they hit. Although the car was damaged, none of the four passengers were injured. The Guardia Civil came to the scene to record the accident but after asking for their papers, searched the car and everything they had, which delayed them for about an hour. Afterwards, they were able to continue their journey and attend the visits.
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set free
Igor Igartua (Bilbo), 31st May, sentence completed. Arantza Garbaio (Bilbo), 14th June, sentence completed. Goio Jimenez (Tolosa), 4th June, on licence. Asier Coloma (Donostia), 13th June, sentence completed.
jailed Jon Lizarribar (Urnieta), arrested11th June in Urnieta. Encarcerated in Soto del Real. Ruben Gelbentzu (Andoain), arrested 11th June in Andoain. Encarcerated in Soto del Real.
transferred relocations Spanish state: Arkaitz Antza (Orereta), from Martutene to Valladolid Olga Sanz (Sopela), from Soto del Real to Aranjuez with her recently-born son. Leire Lopez (Beasain), from Soto del Real to Puerto III Xabier Atristain (Donostia), from Valdemoro to Murcia Karlos Trenor (Donostia), from A Lama to Oca単a II Lander Fernandez (Bilbo), from Soto del Real to Estremera Mikel Arretxe (Donostia), from Basauri to Soria Oier Lorente (Donostia), from Basauri to Due単as Harriet Agirre (Donostia), from Fresnes to Soto del Real. Extradited. I単aki Iribarren (Iru単ea), from France to Soto del Real.
French state: Oihana Mardaras (Bilbo), from Versailles to Fleury. Itziar Moreno (Bilbo), from Muret Seysses to Fresnes. monthly report june 2013
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Temporary relocations (for court appearances etc.) SPANISH STATE: Jabier Salutregi (Bilbo), from Burgos to Dueñas Oier Urrutia (Gasteiz), from Burgos to Valladolid Dani Pastor (Bilbo), from Aranjuez to Puerto III Josune Arriaga (Iruñea), from Topas to Iruñea Josune Arriaga (Iruñea), from Iruñea to Zabala Aitzol Maortua (Larrabetzu), from Huelva to Aranjuez
FRENCH STATE: Harriet Agirre (Donostia), from Moulins to Fresnes to be extraditaded.
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Etxerat On the 2nd June, Lasterbidean. In this first year of the Lasterbidean solidarity race nearly 1,200 people participated in two organised races. A few hundred more arrived at Oiartzun to take part in the day of events organised by Etxerat, including the midday event protesting the dispersal and remembering the 16 relatives and friends who have died on the roads. Thanks so much to all those who participated in this so-special day! Solidarity is without limits! On the 5th June, Etxerat organised a press conference in Bilbao in order to publicise the hunger strike being carried out by Itziar Moreno y Ruben Rivero in the Muret Seysses jail, in France, and to protest the attitude of jail administration towards Itziar Moreno and Oihana Garmendia.
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