Democratic rights at stake in Basque trial

On October 6, Spain's Supreme Court postponed the start of the trial of 23 national executive members of the legal Basque pro-independence party, Herri Batasuna. Defence lawyers asked that one of the three judges be disqualified. The trial will begin on October 13.

Lawyers argued that Judge Jose Augusto de Vega would be unable to render a fair verdict because his daughter, a police inspector, works for the Ministry of Interior. The ministry heads the Spanish state's efforts to defeat the Basque independence movement as well as the armed organisation Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA -- Basque Homeland and Freedom).

Vega is also an associate of former secretary of state Rafael Vera, indicted for his involvement in the dirty war against Basque activists and refugees.

A panel of Supreme Court judges ruled that the defence motion came too late and the charges against Vega were “groundless”. They postponed the trial for a week, with the same three judges to preside.

One of the defendants, HB spokesperson Floren Aoiz, told reporters that the Supreme Court's decision “reinforces our conviction that there is pressure on the court to make a certain decision”. Defence lawyers and HB leaders said pressure from the Spanish government and the big business media made it impossible for them to get a fair trial.

The right-wing Spanish government of Jose Maria Aznar has distributed a propaganda video to television stations ahead of the trial, showing footage of ETA actions.

The 23 HB leaders face sentences of between eight and 22 years for distributing a video and making press statements during Spain's last general election campaign in support of ETA's call for negotiations over its demand for an independent Basque Country. The peace plan, Democratic Alternative, envisaged a cease-fire prior to an act of self-determination for Basques.

This is the first attempt to jail the entire leadership of a legal, pro-independence Basque political party.

HB is the largest Basque political force in the province of Navarre and the second largest in Bascongadas, the province that groups the remaining Basque provinces under Spanish rule. Overall, HB garners up to 20% of the vote in the southern (Spanish-ruled) Basque Country.

[From the Euskal Herria Journal.]

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