Thursday 19 November was a significant day. On that day in Leinster House in Dublin, an Irish appeal was launched to free Arnaldo Otegi and to bring Basque political prisoners home.
You don’t know who Arnaldo Otegi is? I’ll come clean – neither did I until about a year ago. You probably remember ETA, though – they were a paramilitary group that was involved in violent conflict in pursuit of self-determination for the Basque country.
Note the past tense – were. In October 2011, in large part due to the efforts of Otegi, ETA declared a definitive end to fifty years of armed activity. Following a path very similar to the IRA, ETA accepted that its movement for independence should rely solely on the power of argument and persuasion to resolve their conflict.
Which brings us to the appalling bit. The Spanish government’s response to the efforts of Otegi was not to welcome them but to arrest him in October 2009 and sentence him to six and a half years in prison. His case is being raised at the European Court of Human Rights.
Otegi is like over 500 other Basques who had been involved in the conflict: he is a victim not just of imprisonment but of dispersal. That is, he and they are being held in prisons scattered throughout Spain. If you know Spain you’ll appreciate that it is one very big country. As a result of the policy of dispersal, the family of Otegi and the 500 others face serious difficulties and expense in arranging prison visits. In some cases it’s impossible.
The Irish appeal urges the Spanish government to respond to the fact that the armed conflict is over, to free Otegi and to end the policy of dispersal. To do so would be a win-win situation for all sides, including the Spanish government. To continue refusing to do so is to feed resentment and to act against Spain’s own interests – a lose-lose situation.
The conflict is over. Everyone involved, including the Spanish authorities, should be focused on building reconciliation. Keeping Otegi in jail is not smart. Keeping over 500 Basque prisoners is not smart. Maintaining a policy of dispersal is not smart. And it hardly needs adding: none of these policies is just.
The Irish appeal has been endorsed by a range of people: Gerry Adams, Maureen O’Sullivan and Finian McGrath, both independent TDs, John Alderdice, a Liberal Democratic peer, Robert Ballagh, one of Ireland’s greatest artists, Frances Black the singer. And lots of other well-known names.
Pressure from Ireland will encourage pressure from other countries and sources. If we care about justice and reconciliation at home, we should care for justice and reconciliation abroad. There’s not much point in singing about peace on earth and goodwill to all if, when we see injustice, we pass by on the other side.
You can learn more if you visit the Free Otegi Facebook site –
maybe it would be better if they looked closer to home about prisoners instead of worrying about spains problems.
Freeotegi.com
“The continued incarceration of political prisoners requires urgent attention. The release of Arnaldo Otegi, Secretary General of the Basque pro-independence party SORTU and leader of the peace process, would be an important step.” Desmond Tutu
Billy ,maybe you could let us all know sometime just what political formation you support.
There used to be an old joke, Esteemed Blogmeister, which featured a stampede from a soccer stadium in Bilbao, and which ended in multiple fans being crushed to death.
The punch line was put into the coroner’s mouth;’Too many Basques in one exit’.
Because Basque / Euskara is what is known as a language isolate (i.e., it is totally unrelated to any other language) nonetheless at least one word of that language has found its way into the work of twin towers of English literature: bilbo.
It refers to a sword manufactured in Bilbao and The Great Shakes put it into the sharp-tongued mouth of Falstaff in ‘The Merry Wives of Windsor’ while JRR Tolkein named his most famous character: Bilbo Baggins.
Although a soccer stadium was always namechecked in the joke (see above) nonetheless two of the greatest rugby players ever, one a back, the other a forward, were of Basque stock who turned out in the French gansey; Serge Blanco and Imanol Harinordoquy.
The Basque as egg-chaser, you might say.
‘It’s a big ask’ is a contemporary catchphrase which has caught on in every mouth where the English language has staked its claim. Rugby is no exception: thus, “Ulster will find it a big ask to beat X’; ‘Leinster will find it a big ask to defeat Y’ and, of course, ‘Munster will find it a big ask not to take a backseat against Z’.
Not unlike Imanol Harinordoquy on the rugby field, Arnaldo Otegi is a big Basque – on the political field. So, how to get the word out about him?
Now, as it happens, there is a mini-hoohah involving a rugby gansey at the moment which is sure to blow over in an ad-break or three.
To quote the paper of umbilical cord with the IRFU:
‘An Irish rugby jersey endorsing the UK charity ‘Help for Heroes’ (H4H) which supports wounded armed forces servicemen and women in the UK, is neither an official IRFU product nor endorsed by the Union’.
Hmmmm.
The Unionist Times (for it is it !) continues:
-‘The jersey features a shamrock in its crest but it does not contain any IRFU logo, As well as being unable to prevent its production or sale, the Union doesn’t condone or condemn the use of the Irish rugby jersey in this way’.
Hmmmmm.
In fact, Hmmmm 4 Hmmmmmm.
Some years ago, Dr. David Hickey,former Dublin footballer, pulled a stroke which even the Great Bamboozelum himself would have envied. This happened on the green sward of Croke Park when he and his wrinkled colleagues were being presented to the packed stadium on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of their greatest triumph (s).
And as the spotlight turned on the Doc and his name was called out over the public address system, he stepped forward, opened his jacket, Clark Kent style, and -bilbo ! – revealed a gansey underneath which read:
-Stop the Cuban blockade.
Perhaps there is a former Irish International rugby player out there, oops, legend, who might do ditto with the following logo on his gansey:
-Help Arnaldo Otegi.
There was once a time when the Irish rugby team was drawn heavily from the ranks of the medical profession; this is no longer, sadly, the case.Nowadays, It would appear that the patients outnumber the doctors, heavily.
But as Honorary Doctorates are being get given out to former legends of the oval balled game like prayer mats at a mosque, this imbalance should not be a problem.
As only one gansey is all that would be required, it ought not be a big (gulp) task.
Another.Sad.story.Jude.
Yep. Jim.
Disgraceful Jude.wonder what Spanish government would say if ETA resumed their campaign.
Ah the Spanish Government certainly has gone up in my estimation. I am sure they will be deeply worried by the fact that rag tag group of malcontents is annoyed with them.
“Ah the Spanish Government certainly has gone up in my estimation. I am sure they will be deeply worried by the fact that rag tag group of malcontents is annoyed with them.”
Is that how you see the working class loyalist community also neill, a “rag tag group of malcontents”?