His case has become popular in recent years because, like many other prisoners, the Prison Treatment Board has on several occasions granted him the third grade and which, appealed by the prosecutor, has been suspended by the Spanish National Court.
Atristain volunteered in 2010 at the police station in Biarritz after hearing the arrest warrant against him, according to Interior. A month later he was extradited to Spain and in detention he was forced by a lawyer of his own office, without the possibility of naming his. During his arrest, he reported torture and threats and, based on his statements, in the 2013 trial he was sentenced to 17 years in prison.
The prisoner brought his case to Strasbourg and in 2022 the European Court of Human Rights condemned Spain for not having been able to choose his lawyer in the detention incommunicado and having accepted a statement before a lawyer ex officio as proof of repression for Atristain. The release was provisionally released last February by order of the National Court, but the Supreme Court ordered his re-entry into prison on the grounds that more evidence of imprisonment had been included in the sentence and not only those cited by Strasbourg.
As for the dance of the degrees, what has happened to many Basque prisoners in recent years has happened to Atristain. In summer 2022, Martutene prison granted him the third grade, but the Central Court of Prison Surveillance, in view of the prosecutor's appeal, withdrew the third grade in October and returned him to prison. In November, the Martutene Treatment Commission ratified the third grade and in March 2023 it was approved by the Basque Government.
The prosecutor re-appealed the decision. On this occasion, the Prison Watch Tribunal did not accept the appeal, but the Criminal Chamber of the National Court did, therefore, accept it to prison. Finally, he was released on parole this Thursday.
In prisons dependent on the Basque Government, Basque political prisoners have lost a great deal in terms of communication with our family and friends. The number of monthly prefixes is lower and their duration is shorter. So, even if we get closer, we devote less time to the... [+]
Plataforma herritarrak gaur egun arte lortutakoaren balioa nabarmendu du, eta adierazi du gizarteak “bultzada bat” eman behar duela “oraindik erbestean eta deportazioan daudenak” etxeratzeko. Etorkizuneko belaunaldiei gizarte hobeago bat uzteko garrantzia... [+]
Bi edizio baino ez zaizkio geratzen elkartasun jaialdiari. Antolakuntzak iragarri bezala, ohiko jaialdia eginen dute abenduaren 28an, eta 2025eko uztailean lau eguneko jaialdi berezi baten ostean, agur esateko une gazi-gozoa helduko da. Aritz Colio Hatortxuko antolakuntzako... [+]
I've thought if Palestinian children also have this question in their head with our book. How many duels are missing to end the genocide? How many children should Israel kill with the complicity of the states of the world.
Are you going to ask these questions to your mothers? Or... [+]
Badira sei-zazpi urte kartzelan dauden presoek euskara ikasteko duten eskubidea bermatzeko helburuarekin, lanean aritu den euskara-irakasleen sare bat: Presoen Euskara Irakasleen Taldea.
On the occasion of the International Day of Political Prisoners, held on 17 April, the signatories of this paper wish to take advantage of the part of the prominence that corresponds to us on this date to launch some lines.
It is a sign of the existence, conflicts and political... [+]