Protest against Basques' extraditions in Belfast

national | rights, freedoms and repression | news report

Thursday May 14, 2009 11:58

by Don't extradite the Basques Campaign

info at dontextraditethebasques dot org

40 people protested against Spanish political persecution of Basques.

Yesterday afternoon a hearing on the extradition case against Belfast-based Basque pro-independence activist Arturo "Benat" Villanueva was held in the Laganside Court in Belfast. Benat was arrested on the 22nd of April by the PSNI at his home in west Belfast after a European arrest warrant had been issued against him by the Spanish National Court (Diplock Court). He's been charged with "membership of terrorist organization" because of his political work in the Basque pro-independence youth movement. The Basque youth organizations Jarrai, Haika and Segi were declared "terrorist" by the Spanish Supreme Court in 2007.

At the hearing Benat's solicitors raised their concerns surrounding the breach of the retrospectivity principle. The barrister said he thought he could proof in this case there is a clear persecution of his defendant's political ideas. Benat has been acussed of being a member of the Basque pro-independence and socialist political organization Jarrai from 1994 to 2000 while the mentioned organization was declared illegal in 2005 and terrorist in 2007.

The 12th of June was set by the judge as the date to present a defence skeleton argument. Meanwhile Benat will remain under the same bail conditions: curfew from 9pm to 7am and presenting himself every day at police barracks.

40 people held a picket outside the court buildings with a banner on which this slogan could be read: "Stop political Spanish political persecution against the Basque Country. Don't extradite the Basques."

A public meeting to launch the campaign against Benat and also Belfast-based Basque pro-independence activist Inaki de Juana will be launched on Thursday 14th of May at 6pm in An Chultúrlann, Falls Road, Belfast.