Since we were transferred to Euskal Herria from the prisons of the Spanish State, in the prison of Zaballa we have found many deficiencies in the field of communication. We have fewer and shorter face-to-face contacts, we have had to make visits to the speaker in poor technical conditions, and in terms of telephone calls, as well as being too expensive, we have to use devices that are badly placed, outdated and damaged. We have asked the jail several times to adapt the situation and have made the fool every time.
There has been a new widespread breakdown in loudspeakers already halfway over the last month. Only four out of 28 newsstands have been available in some way. During these weeks, we have repeatedly asked the prison to resolve the breakdown. Useless. It has only offered us cheap excuses. No solution, no alternative.
As of 13 September we began a strike of announcements to ask the Zaballa prison to resolve once and for all the broken loures in order to be able to make visits in dignified conditions.
Last weekend we approached the speakers and for the fourth time we found ourselves in the same situation, there we refused to visit it by a number of Basque political prisoners. Some family members and friends demanded to meet a prison officer on the road to the outside and, after talking to him, complained about the situation in writing.
All prisoners have a fundamental right to relate to our fellow human beings, and Basque political prisoners, moreover, have a close relationship with citizenship, is fundamental. We have to make that relationship in dignified conditions and we cannot allow visits to take place under the conditions we have in Zaballa.
We have been bogged down in jail and fog, and that is why the Basque political prisoners who signed this letter want to announce that as of 13 September we will begin a locutionary strike to demand that Zaballa prison finally resolve all the broken loures so that we can make visits in dignified conditions.
Various signatories*:
GARIKOITZ Etxeberria Goikoetxea
Orkatz Gallastegi Sodupe
Jexus Mari Etxeberria Garaikoetxea “Goierri”
Fernando García Joará
Xabier Garcia Gaztelu
Aitor Cotano Sinde
Jon Kepa preciado Izarra
Mikel San Sebastian Gaztelumendi
Dani Pastor Alonso
Andoni Goikoetxea Gabirondo
Lexuri Gallastegi Sodupe
Irantzu Gallastegi Sodupe
Julen Atxurra Egurrola