Eibar, a 16th of September of 2002

Saturno eats his own children. When society becomes deaf to the cries
of its' people and has no capacity to answer words with words; when
the right to disagree gets mixed up with supporting the enemy; when
rationality gets trashed in order to put flags up in the wind: when a
society thinks only in terms of political profit. Then the society is sick
and starts dying, it gets wounded in its weakest point: the elemental
rights of living and freedom.

The dream of rationality produces monsters. And rationality in the
Basque Country seems to be more and more blunt.

My brother Oier, has been arrested and is now a prisoner in Basauri
jail, accused of belonging to an armed group, public disorder, insults,
violence and murder attempts....

But that is not what I see on the news clips on TV.


On TV I see two young people, defenceless, naked, trying to stop
barbarism with the only violence of their passive resistance, with an
attitude, that reminds me more of Ghandi than Jack the ripper.

Of course Ghandi, was shot, and Jack the ripper was never caught.
Whoever knows my brother, knows what I am talking about. I don't
think that politicians like Iturgaitz (spanish right-wing government's
politician in the Basque Country), Arzallus (basque moderate
nationalist), Zapatero (spanish socialist leader) nor Otegi (Batasuna
leader) will know. I don't think they will care about being honest.
Each of them is preaching in their own churchyard.

Are we going to lose our right in this Country of remaining
unsympathetic to neither Real Sociedad (San Sebastian’s football
team) nor Athletic of Bilbao (Bilbao’s football team)? Or deciding not to
be a Carlist or a liberal.? Or a left wing or a right wing?

For Goodness sake, we are talking about respect for the personal
ideas! I see those who fill their mouths with words like freedom and
democracy while they are not ready to tolerate the existence of the
outsiders. Or those who ask for freedom and rights for people
depending who they vote for. I haven’t voted for 16 years of my life...
and I feel less incline to do it now. What have we done to get to this
tense situation? Why do we have politicians that seem disabled (with
apologies to the collective of those who are really disabled), so unable
to reach an agreement? Why are we all condemned to confront each
other?

Last saturday in Bilbao, 4 people were arrested (among 80,000
people): Two pacifists who were naked, one drunkard and a councillor
of EA (moderate Basque nationalist party)... what a great man hunt for
the “Ertzaintza” (Basque Police) ............and the Justice system (which
is based in Madrid, Spain), they just don't care!, the problem is that
they have four people arrested, let's find a good excuse to incriminate
them!.

We have tried to see my brother but it hasn’t been possible, we could
speak to him for 3 minutes on the phone, and he has send us a letter,
which I will transcript underneath, and upon which I will make no
further comment, there is no need to: the letter speaks for itself about
the lack of democracy that we suffer, and that can lead us to a worse
bankruptcy that the one of Felipe II (old Spanish King).

I will remove names and references to my brother’s personal job, since
at present even my cat can targeted as a suspect.

In my brother’s name, I would like to ask those who know Oie
personally, that his voice has to be heard (together with Pablo’s, a
friend from Zaragoza who is also arrested and in the same situation),
as far and strong as you can rise it, to pass his message of peaceful
protest and pacific disobedience, and to be intolerant only with those
things one has to be intolerant with: injustice, arbitrary and violence.

Until the moment Oier is back in front of this keyboard and he get
apologies for the SHIT they are now throwing upon him, we will be
here using his two weapons: THE WORD AND THE REASON.
Unfortunately it may be some people that don't even know what we
are talking about.

Nothing else, I transcript his letter:

"Basauri, 16th of september 2002: Dear mum, all the family: read this
letter in front of all the family (even the children)

Last saturday I went to demonstrate peacefully, as also did thousands
of people. Precisely, I was with a group of basques from the basque
diaspora (Uruguay, Argentina, Galicia, France, Zaragoza....) whose
intention was to put up a banner with the sentence: "Euskal diaspora
zuekin" ("The Basque diaspora is with you"). For this reason we went
to the front of the demo, to ask for permission to the organisers (in
principle they asked not to bring any banners and to march silent).
Once in the front, we saw this situation: a double wall of the
“ertzaintza” (basque police) strongly armed, and vans with water
cannons. It was clear they had absolutely no intention to let the demo
go through, as you know it was a legal demo according to the basque
Justice department.

We were nearly 20 in our group. There was absolutely on incidents
from those demonstrating. The demonstrators patience was running
out, people wanted to go forward (I don't know how many protesters
were there, but “Autonomia Street” was completely full up to what I
could reach with my sight). The police started throwing plastic balls, I
guess in order to dissolve the demonstration, because it wasn’t any
provocation or whatsoever from the demonstrators. I Thought of the
terror situation arising from 100 policemen charging against 80,000
people, the fear of people being trapped by the ones that would start
running, so I decided to get naked and to put myself between the
police and the demonstrators.

They accuse us for public disorder, but our intention was to avoid it.

One girl using crutches in order to walk went just in front of the
policemen, that started pushing her, I went and stay by her side, Then
Pablo came (a basque from the diaspora that lives in Zaragoza), he
also got naked and came with us. Other people joined us to create a
citizen line that stopped the attacks from the police for a good while.
Pablo tells me that we were grabbing hands, which it makes it
impossible to throw stones as they accuse me of doing. Why did I get
naked? Because my intention was to stage a pacifist protest, without
using violence (with the same attitude of the tens of thousands of
people that were demonstrating) and I also wanted to make evident
to the police I had no weapons nor any aggressive intention at all.

Anyway, they accuse me of throwing objects, shouting slogans in
support of ETA, etc.. It is funny since I think that getting naked in a
protest is not the most useful way to start a street guerrilla movement.
Those around me, know well how opposed I am to ETA's armed fight.
Nonetheless they call me a terrorist and we are accused of attempted
murder...

I demand from those who accuse me to present any video recording or
photography of mine or Pablo throwing one single stone, shouting or
doing anything else but PASSIVE resistance.

During our silence and immobility, we could hear from the policemen an
unstoppable collection of abusing sentences like "we will break you
balls", "faggots", and other sexual comments (even showing us their
tongue in a sexual manner), etc...

Finally, demonstrators carrying a big flag were getting closer to us, and
we let them go through. When they reach the police line, they started
to hit people and to throw rubber balls, and it became chaotic. Pablo
and me stood up, with the hands up and the head down in a sign of
non-resistance, we got battered as an answer. Policemen didn't know
how to grab us. Rubber balls were whistling around us, I embraced
Pablo to protect our heads and genitals. We fell down, grabbing each
other. They separated us, they put hand cuffs on us and took Pablo
with them. I decided to sit down. The police were beating us with their
sticks, but soon they started kicking me with their feet. Hand cuffed
and naked they drag me through the street, then I notice a bone
breaking (thanks to the precise kick from the boot of an agent). I didn't
want to walk, and they dropped me on the floor. I lied pretending I
was dead so they would stop beating me up. Finally, I think they were
embarrassed I could be seen on TV, they forced me to stand up and to
walk all the way to the police station.

This is what happened, and I want you all to know it so if you wish you
can spread it around. From now on, it’s possible that all kind of lies and
rubbish are said about ourselves. I am sorry for making you go through
this situation, but one of the very good things I have learned from
"ama" (mum) and "aitxa" (dad) is to say the truth and to be honest.
This is good for certain moments but not for others, as I aim to be
coherent in my life. And you see for yourselves what can happen when
you are coherent. ****** is the telephone of Pablo's parents, in case
you want to talk to them or exchange any more information about us
you might have.

After that "afternoon", the treatment in the police station of Zabalburu,
the police station in Txurdinaga and the Court in “Buenos Aires Street”
was good. Now in prison I am well treated, so don't worry for this.

The only complaint I have is the negligence of the doctor from Deusto
at “Osakidetza” (Basque health Authority Hospital). It seems that
when one is handcuffed and surrounded by two policemen with their
truncheons, guns by their side and their face covered, one is no more a
“patient” and becomes just rubbish. The examination he made was a
joke. My skin is burned, and nobody has done anything to cure it after
36 hours (I washed myself with water and soap as better as I could in
the cell). Then on sunday, I asked for a new examination, by a forensic
doctor from the court. This one did a good job, he even took photos of
my wounds. I would like you to investigate in the court (“Buenos Aires
street”) in case you can get a copy of my report in order to:

1. For you to see how I am
2. For I to make a complaint to Osakidetza (basque health authority)
when I get out.

Before entering the prison, they allowed me to talk on the phone to
XXXXX (the one from Astixa) and YYYYYY (who saw everything that
happened) and told them what to do.

1, Spread my version.
2. Calm my family down, that is you all, and specially "ama" (mum). The
world is not over and I will be out soon.
3. I need a person to become a liaison between me and the
authorities.

I explain this below

1.- Spread my version.

I do not wish to ask anybody to do any propaganda. Simply when you
find a perjury or a lie, answer accordingly to the truth.

Oswaldo: please, enter my email every two days at least, and empty
my messages so the inbox doesn’t get full. Take all addresses from my
address book and send them all a small note explaining what is
happening (there is nothing to hide), and for those who write to me
you can use that note as a reply. At least in both spanish and in
english.

2.- Calm the family

What happens to me is not terrible; there is people in much worse
situations, not just passing some time “inside”. In this moment my
worry is not me but what is happening outside. From saturday 20:00h
I am isolated from the world. I could not remember mum's mobile
number and at **** there was nobody. I gave Emma's number. I need
to know how you are. But I have no way to tell you were I will be sent
in the next hours. You could have permanent contact with the lawyers
(Jone). We don't know who has contacted them. But, for the moment,
it’s her who is running the case, so you need to talk to her.

3.- At work

The situation is not difficult, but it has to be dealt with. There are some
important things:

- I need somebody with legal permission to move some money under
my name. *

(*the following were some issues about his job that have been
removed)

I think it’s OK that the case is taken by the lawyer of the family, but
please tell him to speak to Goirizelaia, she knows a lot about my case.

Up to here is the document, as my brother asked me to write it.

Thanks to all of you for your interest and for your small support so that
Oier can get back to this keyboard, as it should be soon, in the name
of my family and mine.

Oswaldo Gorosábel Larrañaga

Note By translator. Oswaldo uses the name "jilguero" which is a kind of
bird people has in a small cage at home. As I don't know the
translation for that kind of bird, and putting "my bird" could lead to
some confusion I have prefer to write cat.