(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has called on Spanish authorities to allow the Basque-language newspaper “Euskaldunon Egunkaria” to reopen. On 21 July 2003, a national court judge ordered a six-month extension to the “preventive measures” that have kept the newspaper closed since February because the group that publishes it is suspected of “belonging to or cooperating with […]
(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has called on Spanish authorities to allow the Basque-language newspaper “Euskaldunon Egunkaria” to reopen. On 21 July 2003, a national court judge ordered a six-month extension to the “preventive measures” that have kept the newspaper closed since February because the group that publishes it is suspected of “belonging to or cooperating with the terrorist organisation ETA.”
“We reiterate our opposition to the closure, even if it is provisional, of the newspaper ‘Euskaldunon Egunkaria’ while the courts have not yet reached a decision on the substance of this case,” RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard said in a letter to Spanish Justice Minister José María Michavila. “This measure deprives readers of their right to information,” Ménard added. Voicing concern over the application of “preventive measures” against a newspaper, Ménard said “Euskaldunon Egunkaria” should be allowed to reopen during the judicial proceedings.
On the grounds that the Euskaldunon Egunkaria group pursues the same goals as the separatist group ETA, and helps to strengthen its terrorist cells by creating dummy companies, Judge Juan del Olmo extended the existing preventive measures. The measures consist of freezing the group’s assets, suspending its activities and closing the premises of Egunkaria S.A., Egunkaria Sortzen SL and the newspaper’s editorial office.
On 20 February, police arrested ten “Euskaldunon Egunkaria” journalists and members of its board, and a judge ordered the closure of the newspaper. The next day, the Egunkaria team launched “Egunero”, a new Basque-language newspaper with “Closed but not silent” as its slogan. Two members of the Egunkaria board, Iñaki Uria and Xavier Oleaga, are still in prison.
RSF notes that the Basque daily “Egin” and the radio station Egin-Irratia were provisionally closed in July 1998 on the orders of investigating judge Baltasar Garzón as part of a crackdown on the networks that finance ETA (see IFEX alerts of 22 and 20 July 1998).
