This file is a mirror of EUSKAL HERRIA JOURNAL by Basque Red Net.

The HR Commission of the Bascongadas Parliament
Demands Repatriation of Basque Prisoners

October 4, 1996

The Spanish dispersion policy currently applied to Basque political prisoners was designed and put into effect by the former Socialist government with the support of all Spanish parties and Basque parties, the Basque Nationalist Party, Eusko Alkartasuna, and Euskadiko Ezkerra. Basque political prisoners in the French state are held in jails located mainly in Paris, far away from their homes. The numerous protests of Basque political prisoners, as well as those of their families and friends, social movements, reports of international human rights organizations, condemning dispersion, have forced some political parties to finally take a stand against the treatment given to Basque political prioners by Madrid and Paris. The parliament of Bascongadas, as well as the Navarrese, have remained silent in light of the beatings, ill-treatment and humiliations suffered by Basque political prisoners. They cannot continue ignoring the voice of the prisoners who, some even in an indefinite hunger strike since September 9, are calling for the respect of their basic human rights. The following document is the product of the many years of struggle put by the prisioners and their relatives and friends. Now action must follow.

1. To demonstrate rejection of the document issued by the director of penitenciary institutions, Carlos Yuste, and to acknowledge the following two rights of the Basque prisoners: the right to served their sentences as close as possible to their homes; the right of the prisoner not to be subject to pressure or conditions.

2. To ratify the decision of the Bascongadas parliament dated December 28, 1995, and to once again urge the Ministry of Interior to come up with a plan to bring all Basque prisoners near their homes, within a time limit as brief as possible so that they all serve their sentences in penitenciary centers located as near as possible to their homes.

3. To request from the Ministry of Interior a report of all Basque prisoners and their current status.

4. To request from the Ministry of Interior, as a first step, the transfer to jails in the penninsula of all Basques serving a sentence in jails located in the islands (Mallorca, Ibiza, Tenerife, and Salto del Negro) or in Ceuta and Melilla.

5. To submit to the French Ministry of Interior a request asking that all Basque prisoners be transferred to jails located as near as possible to their homes.

6. In the event that this petition may not be attended by the Spanish Ministry of Interior, this commission will request a meeting with the commission of human rights of the Council of Europe, with the purpose of establishing the procedures to follow in order to denounce this situation to the European Human Rights Court in Strassbourgh.

7. To firmly urge the the Spanish penitenciary institutions to respect the fundamental human rights of all Basque prisoners. The commission also urges the penitenciary institutions to apply immediately article 90 to those prisoners with a serious illness. Last, the commission requests that the law be applied to those Basque prisoners who have served most of their sentences and, according to the law, should be granted provisional freedom.

The document agreement was approved by Basque parties, EA, HB, and PNV, and national party, IU.