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Judgment
Former Interior Minister clarifies that Paris "cooperated" in the disarmament process
  • To channel the disarmament of ETA, the French authorities collaborated with the peacemakers. Former Minister of the Interior, Matthias Fekl, said this on Tuesday at the 16th Chamber of the Paris Criminal Court in the trial against Beatrice Molle-Haran and Jean-Noël Txetx Etcheverry. Éric Morvan, former Prefect of the Atlantic Pyrenees, for his part, highlighted his "relationship of trust" with peacemakers.
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Epaitegiko gelara sartzeko zain Éric Morvan prefeta ohia eta Matthias Fekl Frantziako barne ministro ohia. Argazkia: Ihintza Arrieta / Euskal Irratiak

In the ongoing trial in Paris on the occasion of the disarmament of ETA and the Luhuso operation, prominent witnesses such as the former Minister of the Interior, Matthias Fekl, and the former Prefect of the Atlantic Pyrenees, Éric Morvan, spoke on Tuesday afternoon.

They both stressed that the French Government underwent a change of position before the rearmament of April 2017 and clarified that there was a "tacit" agreement: "cooperation" and the guarantee of the French powers.

According to Fekl, it was a "close partnership" with peacemakers: "French law does not allow a process of disarmament to take place. But with the will of both parties, and by the decision of the authorities, this large-scale operation was carried out without harming anyone," explains Ekhi Remunererdegi, the special correspondent of the newspaper Berria.

Morvan has highlighted his "relationship of trust" with peacemakers, especially with Mixel Berhokoirigoin at the origin of the Basque Country Chamber of Agriculture: "He was a man who marked me a lot for his convictions". This kind of relationship led him to Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve and to the prosecutor for the operation to be guaranteed by the Parisian authorities and the prosecution.

In addition, Jean René Etchegaray, former PS Deputy Sylviane Alaux and Jean Pierre Massias, a professor at the University of Baiona, witnessed the case of Kotte Ecenarro Hendaia, "a sign of the diversity of Basque society in the Paris Court".

"How is it possible not to do anything for so many years?"

Before, Moll and Etcheverry testify to the judge. They defend and confirm that the ultimate goal was the disarmament of ETA.

Etcheverry has explained that if I had the opportunity to re-do the Luhuso operation, and he has answered continuous questions from the prosecutor: "You attack me, but if other methods were possible, explain to me how it is possible to do nothing for so many years", said the pacifier at the end, as can be read in the follow-up made by Ihintza Arrieta on the Vasca network.

Since the Aiete Declaration of 2011 the Spanish and French states had blocked the process of disarmament and dismantling of ETA. For Bake Bidea, witnesses "have again demonstrated that this action was necessary to unblock the peace process that was not brought forward by 5 years."

On Wednesday, April 3, the trial will continue and for this day concentrations will be held in the seven capitals of the Basque Country under the motto La Exculpación at noon and in the afternoon, to definitively open a new era in the Basque Country.