Basque newspaper 'innocent' seven years after closure

Seven years after its closure and the arrest of its top staff members, who were tortured... the journalists who lead the first Basque language newspaper, Egunkaria, have been declared innocent.

The sentence declares that neither the accused nor the newspaper had the slightest connection to ETA.

The only "evidence" in the case for all these years were reports from the Spanish police which have been declared not to be evidence after all.

The sentence states that the closure of the newspaper was unconstitutional. The tribunal also admits that the denounces of tortures are plausible, though they decline to judge on them.

Basque political parties demanded swiftness in reparations and judging those who decided such abuse.

Source: Gara[es].

Egunkaria (The Newspaper or The Daily) was created by popular subscription and, after its closure, a new Basque-language daily was created by the same means in just few months: Berria (The News or also The New One). The popular reaction in this case and that of Egin showed that, while the Neoinquisition could slander and do much damage, the Basque people stood firmly with their non-corporative media.

Berria, of course, has a larger and retrospective report on the matter. It is in Basque language but you may want to browse the photo-gallery anyhow.

For instance: this shareholders' assembly back in 1995

Among other items, it denounces that the interview by Sarah Rainsford to Martxelo Otamendi, former director of Egunkaria and one of the victims of this judicial abuse, last month was never broadcasted. The word used is "missing" but it's obvious that it was censored on NATO ideological grounds.

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