(RSF/IFEX) – In letters addressed to Spanish Minister of the Interior Jaime Mayor Oreja and Xabier Balza, the Basque government’s interior advisor, RSF denounced the assassination attempt on Aurora Intxausti, a journalist with the Madrid daily “El País”, and Juan Palomo, a journalist with the private television station Antena 3, on 10 November 2000, in […]
(RSF/IFEX) – In letters addressed to Spanish Minister of the Interior Jaime Mayor Oreja and Xabier Balza, the Basque government’s interior advisor, RSF denounced the assassination attempt on Aurora Intxausti, a journalist with the Madrid daily “El País”, and Juan Palomo, a journalist with the private television station Antena 3, on 10 November 2000, in San Sebastián. “Journalists have become the primary target of terrorism in the Spanish Basque Country. This campaign of violence against the press is reaching a critical level,” stated Robert Ménard, the organisation’s secretary-general. “We ask that you keep us informed of the the investigation’s results,” added Ménard.
According to information collected by RSF, two kilograms of explosives, hidden at the front door of the home of journalists Aurora Intxausti and Juan Palomo, partially exploded at 9:15 a.m. (local time) on 10 November. When the couple opened the door, accompanied by their one-year-old son, only the detonator exploded, causing a small explosion and some material damage. The explosives could have killed the two journalists if they had fully detonated. The Spanish Basque government’s minister of the Interior said that “without a doubt”, ETA was responsible for this latest attack. The assassination attempt closely followed the arrest of four assumed members of ETA’s “Viscaya” commando group during the night of 9 to 10 November, in Bilbao (Basque Country).
Aurora Intxausti is one of forty journalists who have been specifically denounced in the Basque nationalist magazine “Ardi Beltza”. The magazine’s latest issue included a video cassette titled: “Journalists: the Trading of Lies”. The video denounced the role of the media in very harsh terms, claiming journalists were “in the pay of” the Spanish government.
RSF has often times denounced the threats and attacks against Spanish journalists. On 27 October, the 2000 RSF – Fondation de France Prize was awarded to the Spanish Basque journalist Carmen Gurruchaga from the daily “El Mundo”. This journalist with the “Basque Country” edition of “El Mundo” has been a victim of ETA terrorist violence on several occasions. Having received death threats, she decided to move to Madrid, where she continues to work for “El Mundo”, but under police protection, like some fifty other Spanish colleagues (see IFEX alert of 30 October 2000).
