the 3 of Segi

european under arrest : 3 joung basc people


The Spanish government continues forcing extraditions of Basques from other countries

The French courts decide to collaborate with the Spanish 'Injustice'
more information in french
 http://www.ekaitza.org
euskara - castellano :
 http://www.euskalherria.indymedia.org

The trial of Amaia Rekarte, Yves Matxikote and Haritza Galarraga for their extradition to Spain finished yesterday Tuesday 25th may 2004. The judge accepted the character of the Euro-order because another European government is accusing the three of involvement with terrorism. They decided that it’s up to the Spanish authorities to decide about the detainees’ guilt. The decision will be made public next Tuesday 1st June. In this way, the French courts are putting French citizens in the hands of another government who is ruled with different laws and without questioning these. The three youngsters are accused of belonging to the youth organisation Segi which is linked to ETA in Spain as part of judge’s Garzón’s 18/98 summary but which is not illegal in France. The three Basques insisted in the political character of thei involvement with this organisation and denied any link with ETA. Amai Rekarte explained: ‘I don’t accept to be persecuted for my ideas, which are independence and socialism for my country. I defend those ideas and I don’t think that’s terrorism’. Aritza declared in the same way: ‘If to be abertzale (nationalist) is a crime, then I have had committed it’. Yves demanded ‘respect for the language, democratic and national rights of Basque Country which nowadays are violated’.
A new deportation and imprisonment has already been put in practice by judge Garzón under the 18/98 Summary. In this case, the imprisoned people are 3 Basques with French citizenship, Haritza Galarraga, Yves Matxikote and Amaia Rekarte. The three are spokesperson for the Basque nationalist youth organisation Segi, banned by this judge in 2002. However the contradiction is that the three are officially French citizens and the organisation hadn’t be banned in France where this kind of prosecution has not taken place. The three were arrested following Garzón’s request and due to the recently introduced euro-orders applying to all European countries for extradiction of wanted ‘terrorists’. European governments should question the concept of ‘terrorist’ used by the Spanish government as they include organisations, publications and business not related to ‘terrorist’ organisation. In this sense, this action means the continuation of the politics of the PP government as well as the collaboration between the Spanish and French government in the matter. The three arrestees will be facing incommunication for five days and torture, as this has been applied to many of those detained in those circumstances. The Appeal Prosecution Court of Pau (France) has asked today 25th May 2004 the Court to approve the deportation of the three youth activists. There is a demo planned for the 29th of May and people are mobilizing in support of them. The only charge against them is to belonging to this organisation and to taking art in ‘actions’ without specifying what kind of actions or which ones. To be spokespersons of an organisation means to represent some ideals which is not an illegality in France and therefore shouldn’t be prosecuted as it has been.


more information in french
 http://www.ekaitza.org
 http://www.euskalherria.indymedia.org

 http://www.ekaitza.org