Batasuna's ban / January 7 2003

The Basque organisation Batasuna was banned for a five year period last summer after Spanish judge Baltasar Garzon, the right wing party on government PP, and the Socialists PSOE, agreed on the move.

The ban was carried out after the approval of a new law called 'ley de partidos', (parties' law) which forbids any political party or organisation with the same political objectives than an armed group to continue with their work even if they do not use violence in their actions. This law was produced after the effect of the 11-S attacks had on anti-terrorist policies in the US and Europe, and profiting Bush's campaign 'war on terrorism'.

The judge's decision on the outlaw of the organisation is an action against the leftist nationalist movement in the Basque country, and a cut in civil liberties for all the people living in the region; Batasuna has been voted by 10% of the population. Many groups of people tried to defend Batasuna's offices and protested against the Basque police carrying out the order.

One of Aznar's justifications for the ban was Batasuna's failure to condemn a bomb activated in a Mediterranean holiday resort early on last August. As a consequence of the attack, a six-year-old girl and a 57-year-old man died.

Batasuna's response to ETA's attacks has usually been one of silence. A spokesman from the organisation said in relation with this attack, 'these deaths should have and could have been avoided if we all managed to rationalise a conflict that has lasted two centuries.'

The group will not be able to use any of its offices, social centres, and bank accounts, nor will be able to organise press conferences or any form of public meeting, or stand in next year's elections. Only local and parliamentary representatives will be allowed to continue with their work until next elections.

This type of ban has only been carried out in the EU in few occasions, and has always involved nazi organisations.

Arnaldo Otegui, Batasuna's parliamentary member said that the intentions of Spanish Prime Minister were comparable to the military dictatorship of the 1920 to 1923 period when the opposition was outlawed and their possessions confiscated.

Aznar's policies have always been those of oppression and attack to Basque nationalists. He never made an attempt to consider ETA's 14-month truce in 1998-9, and has made illegal many other nationalist organisations and newspapers that support prisoners. Another group working on denouncing torture was also outlawed, but the ban was later removed.

Amnesty International expressed its concern last September by saying 'however ETA's abuses must not be used to justify undermining fundamental freedoms. When faced with grave human rights abuses it becomes all more important to uphold such freedoms.'

By banning Batasuna and all the other organisations related to the nationalist movement and making illegal any public meeting to voice concerns against these measures, the government has only offered repression as an answer to the Basque question.