The village of Saint-Jean-de-Luz, illustration – AFP
About 600 people formed a human chain this Saturday in Saint-Jean-de-Luz (Pyrenees-Atlantiques) to alert again to the fate of prisoners
basques, one of whom had his second parole request reviewed on Thursday.
Protesters have set up their human chain on the bridge which overlooks the port of the city of Luz before moving to the very touristy place Louis XIV, in the heart of the city, where representatives of the civil movement Bake Bidea (“The path of the peace ”) denounced“ the sabotage of the peace process in the Basque Country ”.
Prosecutors deemed “very aggressive”
This mobilization was the culmination of a week “which illustrates the reality of this impasse,” said the organizers. On Thursday, the sentence enforcement chamber of the Paris Court of Appeal studied a request for conditional release from Jakes Esnal, the second made by this 69-year-old prisoner, former head of the former separatist armed organization AND, who has passed the milestone of thirty years in prison. The decision is expected by September 24.
“We have faced a very aggressive attitude from the prosecution and the Advocate General, the debates have not been serene at all. We also felt a totally charged report and a partial attitude from the judges who only highlighted the unfavorable points, ”Maritxu Paulus-Basurco, who was present at the mobilization, told his lawyer.
A responsible territory
Two days before, a delegation of elected officials from the Basque Country had been received at the Ministry of Justice to raise “the unacceptable attitude of the national anti-terrorist prosecutor’s office”, which had notably appealed in May from the decision of the Court for the enforcement of sentences of Paris, competent in terrorist matters, to satisfy the request for release of Esnal.
“We have also reminded public authorities that this territory has always taken responsibility,” said Anaiz Funosas, president of Bake Bidea. In addition to Jakes Esnal, Mrs. Funosas is rebellious of the fate reserved for Ion Parot and Frédéric “Xistor” Haramboure, also detained for thirty years: “Are we witnessing a revenge of state? Do we want to kill them in prison? “
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