The Navarra Network of Torturados and other associations have been calling for the investigation of political torture against Basque citizenship for years, and a further step has been taken this week. The latest research by the Basque Institute of Criminology concludes that torture has been systemic and that there have been “large-scale abuses”. The final report, together with those carried out by the same institute in charge of the former, recorded 1,068 cases of torture in Navarre between 1960 and 2015 (891 people), with a total of 5,181 cases in Hego Euskal Herria.
The Basque Institute of Criminology has pointed out that research is pending completion for reasons of time and funding
The Basque Institute of Criminology transferred last Monday to the Government of Navarra the last report, which analyzes the cases of torture that occurred in Navarra between 1979 and 2015, with the government grant to analyze human rights violations. The research was directed by researcher Laura Pego, with whom Paco Etxeberria and Jeannette Ruiz have been. However, they point out that research work is due to be completed for reasons of time and funding. They call on the Government to continue to do so, because they plan to identify at least 310 cases of torture with their data.
The report of the Institute of Criminology, published on Monday, has concluded 825 cases of torture to 676 people since 1979. Most of the ratios are from 1979 to 1984: 180. Since 2000, 132 cases have been the last in 2015. Read the full summary of the report here in PDF format.
The report has been positively assessed by the Navarra Network of Torturados, as research continues to progress in recognition. Ainara Gorostiaga and Jorge Txokarro explained the assessment on Monday afternoon, in front of the press, under cover of people who have been tortured. Emphasis is placed on what remains to be done: “Despite its enormous figures, the size, density and intensity of torture are not yet fully known. The reality of torture as a whole must be taken into account, its political, social, cultural and human consequences must be analysed, and ways of social reparation must be opened”. They are asking the Government of Navarre to continue to do so and they are asking for guarantees that the same will not happen again.
Ahotsa.info compiled the statements in the following video:
When we talk publicly about torture, we realize how much society embraces the opinion that the “system” itself puts into effect on this issue. It uses a wide range of ministers and advisers, judges and experts, all with the help of the organic media, of course. And it has to... [+]
From time to time life brings memories that you would like to forget. Today I've stayed with Jakan for coffee, because then we have a colloquium on Xabier Mendiguren's book "It's been very hard", and I've realized that I've never asked him anything about that police statement he signed... [+]
The terrible events in March 1999 in the Aiztondo Valley were not isolated attacks, but were part of the Spanish State’s other repressive step against the Basque Country. Under the doctrine “Everything is ETA” (Everything is ETA), we were arrested and tortured violently in... [+]