Amurrio's neighbour ALFREDO REMIREZ MARAÑON left Zaballa prison yesterday after serving a one-year prison sentence. He talked about this experience and about freedom of expression.

What feeling has that left you, when you have left jail, welcomed you?

A very nice feeling, getting out of jail and seeing all my people waiting has been a great joy. That has taught me that I didn't need to be reinserted. In society, I felt really good.

After denouncing the dispersion several times, you and your family have been affected by this policy.

Using the dispersion against me has been the revenge of the state, after denouncing it several times, I have tested it. In fact, I've been in three jails for a year. First in Basauri, then in Daroca at 400 kilometers, and finally in Zaballa.

I have understood within what I have seen many times when I went to visit, that is, the prisoners' responsibility for the journey. I always believed it was our business, being absent. Now I feel like you had to wait to know the phone call that your family members have done well.

I have also on many occasions denounced the accidents caused by the dispersion and have occurred to my family. When they arrived in Daroca, they suffered an accident, which is a tremendous blow to the prisoner.

He often highlighted the situation of sick prisoners, and was with a sick colleague in Basauri.

When a partner is sick, you feel that you have to protect and care for him. I did it when I could. I have realized that it has always been our demand that sick prisoners should be at home, and seeing what is happening in prison, I see that it is more necessary than ever.

Following the proclamation of Pedro Sánchez as president of the Spanish State, they announced the rapprochement of prisoners to Euskal Herria, but you have been the only case in the Spanish State. How have you lived that from within?

I've always thought that, although I was punished and I suffered, it was an exception in the cell. I have been in the 2nd grade and 90% of Basque political prisoners are in the 1st grade. That means there are 22 or 23 hours a day in the cell, living in isolation...

I was lucky, and even though communications were controlled, I had the measure and the opportunity to send letters to my friends in digital time that they took away from me after recourse.

The other Basque prisoners do not have that right. For example, Ekaitz Samaniego wrote me from the jail in Murcia and after 2 months the letter came to me.

In addition, I've had a couple of permits to go out into the street at the end of the prison, the others don't. My situation has therefore been very exceptional compared to the others.

He says he had no need for reinsertion. Have you noticed that the prison serves to reintegrate the prisoner?

Prison is monstrous and scary on the outside, but on the inside it is even more terrible. The prison does not serve to be reinstated. They put a lot of people in the same place, with very different accusations. Then, to socialize you, you have to have studies or study a profession, something. That doesn't happen.

For me, they were all social prisoners, originated by society. I haven't seen a rich man in jail, everyone was poor. I've been in jail for a year and I've seen people come out and come back in.

When people were leaving without money, they were like that. They didn't learn anything inside, so the situation was recurring and they were stealing again to move forward.

You decided to join the Group of Basque Political Prisoners. Has it had consequences?

I felt part of that collective, but I haven't had time to feel the warmth of my peers. In Basauri I was with a couple of colleagues, but in Daroca there were no Basque political prisoners. It is very rare that in a Spanish state prison there are no Basque prisoners, but I was sent there.

I noticed a certain tone of hatred, but I was treated better in Daroca than in Basauri or in Zaballa, unfortunately. In both cases the situation is very bad, both bureaucratic and in the most diverse areas.

In Basauri you met another political prisoner in Amurrio in February, when Julen Ibarrola was imprisoned. What was that experience like?

Not for her, but for me it was a very nice day. I knew I had to go in and I was willing to receive myself. As in my case, Julen first entered prison and the first few days are very hard. I showed him a little bit of what it meant to be there.

I was with him in the cell, we saw the Dragon Ball -- (Laughter) and we had fun together. It was a pity that ten days later I was sent to Daroca. They separated me and he stayed there. At least, I'm glad I'm close.

He has been in prison for a year, what has he taken from prison, or what has he given him?

The only thing I've lost in jail is hair. It was clear to me before that that prisons and prisoners had to be fought, and now more. The situation of my colleagues is much worse, they are far away, and you have to approach them until they are fired.

We are waiting for Pedro Sánchez to comply with this. The transfer of prisoners from Murcia to Palencia is of no use at all. You have to be here. That has made me a lot of war and I will continue to work from now on.

Their imprisonment has been the milestone of freedom of expression, but the situation does not seem to have improved in the last year.

No, the only thing that has changed in a year has been time -- (Laughter) -- we're now in winter time. Freedom of expression is a serious problem for them and them. Advocates of a single thought don't want any other thought and are able to do anything.

Valtonyc, Pablo Hasel, Boro, The Insurgency -- many are at risk of using and guaranteeing freedom of expression. We have expressed ourselves above their freedom.

The most serious thing is that people think it's not going to happen to him. Today you may not have anything to say, but tomorrow you will have it and there will be no freedom. Freedom of expression must be fought.

Some images of Alfredo Remírez after leaving prison on Saturday morning:

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