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éirígí to join in 24 hour solidarity fast for Basque hunger striker

14/02/07

A symbolic hunger-strike will take this place this Saturday, February 17th, in a demonstration of support for a Basque political prisoner who has been fasting for more than 100 days. The protest has been called by a number of Irish Basque committees.

Iñaki de Juana Chaos has spent nearly two decades in Spanish jails and was due for release in late 2003. However, in an act of political malice the Spanish government sentenced Iñaki to an extra 12 years imprisonment on the basis of newspaper articles written from jail.

De Juana is currently being force-fed and has expressed his determination to continue on with his hunger-strike until he is released. A Spanish court this week reduced his extra sentence to three years.

Attempts at conflict resolution in the Basque Country are currently in a state of crisis due to the intransigence of the Spanish and French states. Hundreds of political prisoners remain in jails across the region.

A number of éirígí activists will take part in the twenty-four hour fast. éirígí spokesperson Daithi Mac An Mhaistír said people in Ireland were only too aware of the terrible consequences of hunger-strikes.

“The case of Iñaki de Juana is one of sheer vindictiveness on the part of the Spanish government. By Spanish law Iñaki has already served his sentence should be released immediately.

“We in Ireland unfortunately know what hunger-strike entails. The example of Bobby Sands and his nine comrades show the tenacity and courage of the political prisoner. But we don’t need more dead hunger-strikers; what we need justice.”

Daithi continued “We hope our symbolic act on Saturday will contribute in some way towards putting pressure on the Spanish government to do the right thing – release Iñaki without further delay.”

The 24-hour protest in solidarity with Iñaki De Juana Chaos will start at 2pm on Saturday 17th February, outside of the Bank of Ireland on College Green in Dublin city centre before moving to the Spanish embassy on Merrion Road for 8pm. The protest will continue outside of the embassy until 2pm on Sunday.