Noen få dager senere ble undertrykkelsen videre dramatisk øket, da 23 medlemmer av Batasunas nasjonale ledelse ble vilkårlig arrestert, anklaget for "ulovlig forsamling".

Partiet Rødt i Norge fordømmer denne avsporingen fra president Jose Luis Rodrigues Zapateros spanske regjering. Anstrengelsene for en politisk og demokratisk løsning på det baskiske spørsmål har igjen blitt satt tilbake av regjeringens handlinger.

Vi krever umiddelbar og betingelsesløs frigivelse av de arresterte av de spanske myndigheter, og at de grunnløse anklagene blir trukket tilbake. En varig løsning på den baskiske konflikten kanne ikke oppnås gjennom undertrykkelse og kriminalisering av en folkelig bevegelse med dype røtter i det baskikse samfunnet, og som representerer hundretusener baskiske borgere.

Oslo 19. oktober 2007
Partiet Rødt, Norge
Arnljot Ask, internasjonalt ansvarlig,




Stop The Repression And Criminalization Of Batasuna

On October 2 the Spanish State's authorities arrested Joseba Alvarez, former Member of Parliament and actual International relations Officer of Batasuna, Ohiane Agirre, spokesman of Batasuna, and Asier Tapia, member of the youth movement.

The accusations against them, apart from beeing a mere pretext and clearly unfounded, are hardly hiding the decision of the Spanish State to refuse any substansial dialogue with the Basque People. This act can only be seen as a revenge after the Basque left rejected the surrender offer the governement made to them.

A few days afterwards an even more dramatic escalation of the repression took place, as 23 members of Batasunas National Leadership were arbitrarily arrested with the accusation of "illegal gathering".

The party Red, Norway, condemn this full derailment of the Spanish government of President Jose Luis Rodrigues Zapatero. The efforts towards a political and democratic solution of the Basque question has once more experienced a serious setback from these actions of the government.

We demands from the Spanish authorities the immediate and unconditional release of the arrested and the withdrawel of the groundless accusations. A lasting settlement of the Basque conflict cannot be reached through repression and criminalization of a popular movement deeply rooted in the Basque society and representing hundred of thousands of Basque citizens.

Oslo, October 19th 2008

The party Red, Norway
Arnljot Ask, International secretary.