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INPRIMATU
They report that the Berango indictment can detect persecution of certain militants
  • 15 people had to testify on 17 and 18 November, accused of praising terrorism for participating in the welcome of the former Basque Presidium Iban Aginaga. On Saturday they appeared on the fronton of Berango to support the victims and make a political reading of the facts. They point out that the summary can detect persecution against more than one political militancy and organization, and call on citizens to defend political rights.
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On Saturday 19, dozens of people have offered a press conference on the fronton of Berango to show their support and request their freedom to those accused for the welcome of the former Basque Presidium Iban Aginaga. In fact, following the statement of 22 August by three members of the Kandaru Cultural Association, on 17 and 18 November the other fifteen defendants had to testify before the National Hearing. They accuse of altecing terrorism by participating in the welcome of Aginaga. The defendants deny the accusations, stating that the act was "private".

On 13 March they welcomed the deceased Aginaga, who has been a prisoner for almost 20 years, and in the aftermath of the act, the Vox party, the Dignity and Justice Association and the Villacisneros Foundation filed a complaint. As a result, the Spanish National Court expanded the investigation, which has led to the 18 defendants. On the other hand, the Berango City Hall has also sanctioned the organizers of the welcome by placing banners on the walls of the fronton and by the “misuse” of the fronton, with two quarterly bans on the use of municipal facilities and two fines of 500 euros.

Defence of political freedoms

They have chosen the same welcome place for the Saturday press conference. In it, beyond asking for the support and freedom of the defendants, they read the facts. They point out that Aginaga's welcome is nothing more than an "excuse" from the Spanish state for repression, and that the summary goes beyond judicial aggression against certain individuals. According to them, "the reports of the Ertzaintza, the National Police of Spain and the Civil Guard show the persecution of different militias and political organizations". They stress that the reports mentioned can detect follow-ups, control of political organizations and remnants of a macro-summary to outlaw them.

"It is well known that both Spain and France are aiming to end the latest revolutionary vestiges of the Basque Country. And also the historical memory that's been heard so much lately. This is precisely the attack on political militancy in this case." In this sense, and understanding that it is the most basic political rights at stake, those referring to the rights of assembly, organization, expression and mobilization, "exercising political militancy", underline the need to defend political freedom. They point out that repression replaces the individual objective by the collective objective, so they argue that the response is necessarily collective. In this way they have called for amnesty because they understand that in addition to being a demand for freedom from any repressive, they legitimize the struggle.

Having said that, they call on the individuals and agents who protect the repressive, the anti-repressive movements and the political agents who defend amnesty to set in motion "tools that will deal with the repression of the Spanish and French states".