May 24th

STATEMENT

RE : Basque Struggle For Political Status Deepens - IRSP

The Irish Republican Socialist Party have welcomed the strength and commitment by over 700 Basque political prisoners currently being held in numerous prisons throughout the world. It said that their continued fight to gain political status and to bring an end to a ruthless policy by both French and Spanish authorities of dispersal and isolation would continue as widespread hunger strikes are called off.

In a statement issued by the IRSP, a party spokesperson said : “Our party can confirm that the current situation of Basque political prisoners who are now entering their six month of protest action continues to deepen. It is our understanding that some progress is being made since political prisoners took the decision to move from a campaign of protest such as staging sit-ins in early January of this year to hunger strike action which ended last month.

“The Basque Prisoners’ Association (EPPK) on Easter Sunday announced that Basque prisoners would be keeping up the demand for political status. At the same time they announced that every prisoner involved would be holding gatherings in the prisons on the last Friday of every month, “coinciding with the ones which are already being held in all the town squares in the Basque Country”.

“Despite further repression and punishment being directed against all Basque prisoners involved efforts would increase to bring an end to a ruthless policy by both French and Spanish authorities of dispersal and isolation. We have also been informed by the EPPK and their solidarity committees on the outside that through this struggle Basque political prisoners will maintain their demand for all their rights and, if necessary, ‘we will intensify and step up our struggle to make it effective’.

“The Irish Republican Socialist Party extends its solidarity with the EPPK and to the prisoners support group Askatasuna in its condemnation of mounting threats and continued repression of the Basque political prisoners and their campaign. In doing so we again call on the people of Ireland and across the world to show their support and solidarity with their continued struggle for political, and call for an immediate end to all dispersal and isolation policies.”