Following the ratification by the Supreme Court of four years ' imprisonment of the young Alaveses Aitor Zelaia and Galder Barbado, the STOP Ankerkeriak platform held a press conference yesterday to assess the final sentence and the judicial trajectory that has lasted for five years. "Galder and Aitor have become the undesirable protagonists of the cruel police and judicial trajectory that the Ertzaintza stops in low hours of the night and prolongs more than four years later", declared from the platform and denounced the "cruelty and anachronism" of the process.

The judges of the Supreme Court met on 26 April to rule on the appeals filed by both the defense and the Public Prosecutor’s Office to the ruling of the National Court, and last Thursday, 25 May, the agreement of the Madrid court was made public, consisting of ratifying the National Court’s sentence with four years of imprisonment, one year of probation and 10 years of disqualification for both young people.

Imprisoned in the coming days

Barbado and Zelaia await the final ruling on the table. The National Court must now initiate the "prison order". "This requirement may be accompanied by sudden arrest. The current situation is therefore clear: In the coming days and weeks, with or without arrest, Aitor and Galder will be imprisoned," the spokesmen for the STOP Ankerkeria platform said yesterday.

"Pain, anger, love and solidarity"

"From pain and anger, because it is incomprehensible to us that in 2023 we will have to face such an attack. The Basque Country is making progress, despite the fact that they want us to violate civil and political rights and to be chained in dealing with this type of injustice," the STOP platform said yesterday.

Likewise, those close to Barbado and Zelaia want to read the future from "love and solidarity": "We want our friends, colleagues and political activists Aitor and Galder and we will not leave them alone. We love their commitment to this people and, as they have done thousands of times, we want to give them a flood of solidarity. Because solidarity and mutual protection are the greatest value this people has, and that is why we will be by their side."

Basque Country

Under the motto "Euskal Herria aurrera", the spokespersons of the platform have called mobilizations and solidarity gestures to the different political, union and social actors throughout the Basque Country.

In this regard, the first of the solidarity demonstrations for two young Alaveses will be held on Sunday. The STOP Ankerkeria platform will offer on 4 June at 11:00 hours a mass appearance in the patio of the Wide School of the San José district of Amurrio. As the case progresses, they will continue with the dynamic of mobilization and initiative.