Since the emergence of the Gazte Koordinadora Sozialista (GKS), [click here to read more about the emergence of the communist youth movement, GKS] the official leadership of the Nationalist left (EH Bildu) in the Basque Country has treated them as a nuisance; maintaining an official appearance of ignoring them. Last year, Arkaitz Rodríguez, the general secretary of Sortu (the largest party in the EH Bildu coalition) described the group as ‘reactionary’.
In a historic declaration, left-independentist alliance EH Bildu has acknowledged the suffering caused by the actions of its former armed wing, Basque Homeland and Freedom (ETA), reports Dick Nichols.
SPAIN’S Supreme Court has come under fire from Basque independence activists after deciding to re-try Arnaldo Otegi and four others whose previous trial in 2011 was deemed by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to have breached their right to a fair trial. Two years ago, the ECHR ruled they had been found guilty of terrorism offences – allegedly being members of ETA – after an “unjust” trial. However, they were already free, having served their sentences which had been reduced by the Supreme Court. Rafa Diez, Sonia Jacinto, Miren Zabaleta, Arkaitz Rodríguez and Otegi were each sentenced to 10 years in prison – later reduced to six-and-a-half.