The Don’t Extradite the Basques Campaign would like to warmly thank all those who have shown their support for the two Belfast-based Basque men fighting extradition to Spain throughout 2009.
The campaign has aimed to build public awareness and support in Ireland for the legal efforts by Iñaki de Juana and Arturo Beñat Villanueva to defeat the Spanish authorities’ extradition attempts.
We have also tried to raise awareness about the political context of the extradition attempts – of attacks by the Spanish authorities on political and civil rights in the Basque Country and the broad repression against Basque cultural, community and political organisations.
Since the campaign committee was launched in May, we have organised a petition that has now been signed by more than 1,000 people. We have also held a number of successful events involving hundreds of supporters – including public meetings, press conferences, protests, fundraising concerts and a sponsored walk of Black Mountain – all of which have helped raise awareness of the cases.
While the campaign received some good news in November, when the extradition request against Arturo Beñat Villanueva was ruled “invalid” by a Belfast judge, the Spanish authorities appealed against the decision in December. Both Arturo Beñat Villanueva and Iñaki de Juana are currently awaiting judgments (see below for an update on the defence cases).
At the same time, we have seen political repression escalate dramatically in the Basque Country over the past year.
We would like to appeal to you for your continued support in 2010 in building political support for the rights of Iñaki and Beñat to live free from political persecution in Ireland.
This year we plan to organise supporters in gathering many more petition signatures from the local community and presenting the petition to a representative from the Spanish government in Belfast.
There will be a public campaign meeting held on Thursday January 21 in the Culturlann on the Falls Road in Belfast at 7pm which all are welcome to attend.
The meeting will include an update from legal representatives on the defence cases; a political update on the situation in the Basque Country; and a planning component where we can discuss the way forward for the campaign, particularly building support for the petition.
We would like to urge all those who have supported us to come along to this meeting to discuss strengthening this important campaign in 2010.
Go raibh míle maith agat!
***
Update on cases
Iñaki de Juana’s hearing was held on November 12-13 and he is currently awaiting the judge’s ruling. Because the judge had already ruled that the charge alleged by the Spanish authorities of ‘glorifying terrorism’ was an extraditable charge and had an equivalent under the British Terrorism Law 2006, the basis of the defence’s argument was that the Spanish authorities were knowingly abusing the extradition process, and that extradition would cause a disproportionate threat to de Juana’s health.
Arturo Beñat Villanueva’s initial hearing was held on October 5 and Judge Tom Burgess ruled on November 18 that the European Arrest Warrant was “invalid” as it failed to provide any specific particularities of the offence alleged against him – membership of pro-Basque independence political youth group Jarrai between 1994 and 2000.
The Spanish authorities decided to appeal against the decision. A three-judge panel in the High Court heard the appeal on December 14 and Arturo Beñat Villanueva is now waiting to see whether the judges will affirm the original ruling that the extradition warrant was invalid.
