Aurore Martin to be extradited to Spain (political persecution)

Aurore Martin (left), political activist of Batasuna, a party absolutely legal in the French Republic, and of French citizenship, will be extradited to Spain, the appeal tribunal has confirmed.

She is accused of taking part in political activities (meetings, speeches, demonstrations) as member of Batasuna. That is enough, it seems, for someone to be indicted in Spain and for France to support that indictment even against its own citizens.

174 elected representatives of various formations have issued a protest against this arbitrary, undemocratic and outrageous decision by the every day less reliable French justice system. They complaint of the "the political application of European orders of arrest against political militants". Among the signatories are European MPs Catherine Grèze, José Bové (Europe écologie) and François Alfonsi (Régions et peuples solidaires), as well as French Parliament members Jean Lassalle (MoDem) and Noël Mamère (Europe Ecologie), and also representatives of the Socialist Party, the Communist Party and the Party of the Left.

Jean Pierre Mirande, representative by MoDem (Centrist Liberal party) in Maule (Mauleon) said in press conference:

I revolt against this decision. I am very much worried. This does not forecast anything good for the future.

Alice Leiciaguezahar, regional secretary of Europe Écologie said:

Accepting to transfer someone to the Spanish justice is antidemocratic. The French State cannot compromise itself this way. If it accepts illegalization in Spain, it opens also the gate to it in France.

The French Socialist Party, the main opposition force, also considered the decision unacceptable for us as democrats. They consider that the principles of the euro-order have been perverted:

It reflects the will not of fighting against terrorism, as the European arrest mandate obliges, but of criminalizing democratic political activities.

For the Basque Nationalist Left, there is a clear intent since the beginning to hand her to the Spanish Audiencia Nacional (Political Inquisition). 

Otegi, Permach, Álvarez

These other three leaders of Batasuna have been in jail for months accused of unclear political crimes. They were declared not guilty by the Audiencia Nacional last week but the sentence has been appealed. They remain in prison as of now. 

Arnaldo Otegi is also accused in another political trial: they are accused of rebuilding Batasuna (it was never destroyed, no idea of what they are talking about). 

Galician politicians and intellectuals gathered onDecember 9th to denounce the persecution against Otegi and the others. Among the participants there were members of the Galician National Bloc (BNG) but also independent intellectuals like Suso de Toro (considered an ideologist of current Spanish PM J.L. Rodríguez Zapatero). Other activities for the freedom of Otegi have taken place in Madrid and Catalonia. 

German Die Linke (The Left) party also suggested that Spain should take the opportunity (of the truce and clear will of negotiating peace) and accordingly: granting political and civil rights for Basques. 

In the maimed Basque Parliament also the electoral majority demanded an end to illegalization of ideas, only the Spanish Nationalist parties (which have more seats but less votes, even after the illegalization of Batasuna) demanded more repression instead. 

Sources: Gara[es], Kazeta[eu], AFP at Yahoo News[fr]