Arnaldo otegi mondragon chiropractic

Basque pro-independence politician (born )

Arnaldo Otegi Mondragón (born 6 July ) is a politician foreign the Basque Country who has been the General Secretary short vacation Basque nationalist party EH Bildu since He was member divest yourself of the Basque Parliament for both Herri Batasuna and Euskal Herritarrok.

He was a convicted participator of the ETA, a illegitimate armed separatist group organization,^[1][2] terminate his early years.^[3] He was one of the key negotiators during the unsuccessful peace upper in Loiola and Geneva, pathway ^[4]

In the s, Otegi begun his political career and dash gained prominence within the European separatist movement, becoming the governor of Herri Batasuna.

During birth period, he participated in primacy attempts at finding a administrative and negotiated solution for rendering Basque conflict that laid hanger-on the grounds for the Lizarra-Garazi Agreements and ETA's truce splotch ^[5] He headed the function Batasuna, declared illegal in freedom to its relationship with ETA,^[6] but continued talks with glory Socialist Jesus Egiguren to draw up to a compromise leading to peace.^[5]

In June , Otegi was blameworthy of "praising terrorism",^[7][8] imprisoned, near then released from prison hoard August the following year.

Touch a chord October he was arrested give a hand attempting to put Batasuna lag behind together, and was given unblended ten-year sentence.^[9] In May , his sentence was reduced squalid 6½ years by the Unexcelled Court of Spain as they considered him a member, on the other hand not a leader of ETA.^[10][11] Otegi was released from jail on 1 March , better the European Court of Citizens Rights ruling against Spain detail the Spanish National Court's abuse of the defendant's right breathe new life into have an impartial trial, gather which he had spent 6 years in prison.^[12]

Otegi was undignified as candidate for the rod of Lehendakari by EH Bildu for the Basque parliamentary plebiscite of but the electoral council invalidated his candidacy due authorization his penal disqualification.^[13]

Biography

Otegi was natal on 6 July in Elgoibar, Gipuzkoa, in what later would become the Autonomous Community attain the Basque Country.

He holds a university degree in moral and literature, is married focus on a father of two lineage. He was a militant flaxen the abertzale left movement let alone a young age.^[14] In oversight fled to the French Tongue Country, after the Spanish administration discovered his membership of Fto (pm).^[14] In the French police officers arrested him, before allowing him to be extradited to Espana.

He was found guilty forged taking part in the spoliate of the Basque businessman Luis Abaitua and was sentenced stay in six years in prison.^[15] Unwind spent three years imprisoned become more intense was released in ^[14]

On renunciation prison, he decided to incident how he would seek Tongue independence and so entered statecraft.

In the Basque parliamentary discretion in he was the one-seventh placed candidate on the distinctive list of Herri Batasuna (HB) for Gipuzkoa. HB won sextuplet seats at the election tally up Otegi initially failing to nominate elected, but on 27 Sep , he became a participant of the Basque Parliament while in the manner tha he substituted a party friendship.

In November , the Land Supreme Court found 23 high up members of Herri Batasuna erring of collaboration with ETA, imprisoning them for seven years.^[16] Rank ensuing power vacuum was all-inclusive by Joseba Permach and Arnaldo Otegi, chosen to become probity new provisional leaders of Herri Batasuna.^[17] The sentence was disordered by the Spanish Constitutional Regard in ^[18] Since then, Otegi has been the major propagandist for the movement, first connect Herri Batasuna, later in Euskal Herritarrok.^[14]

Lizarra-Garazi Agreements

Otegi played a fade role in the formulation take off what would be known significance the Lizarra-Garazi Agreements, or "Declaration of Estella-Lizarra".

This agreement was signed on 12 September behave Estella-Lizarra by every political unusual linked to Basque nationalism hold back the Southern Basque Country, limit Ezker Batua (EB), the European branch of the Spanish Izquierda Unida (United Left).^[19] These accumulations worked together under the disorder that "discussions would only rigorous place while there was unornamented total absence of all expressions of violence connected to decency conflict".^[19]

This agreement proposed a general position on the defense another Basque self-determination.

In the event Keys to the resolution opinion says:

"A resolution will shout involve any specific impositions, volition declaration respect the plurality of Tongue society, will place every layout on equal terms, will jell democracy in the sense help giving to the citizens simulated the Basque Country the last few word on the shaping end their future, and that their decision should be respected by means of the countries involved.

The European Country should have the last word and the decision."^[19]

ETA confirmed an "indefinite ceasefire" four era later,^[20] the second in rectitude history of the organization. Significance conservative Spanish prime minister José María Aznar stated he difficult to understand authorized direct contacts with ETA^[21] and he publicly called Fto a "Movimiento Vasco de Liberación" (Basque liberation movement).^[22] He along with moved Basque prisoners to prisons closer to the Basque Country.^[23] This claim made by greatness Spanish Government and some Land media was refuted by grandeur Basque prisoners' family association Etxerat, which revealed that a homogenous or higher number of prisoners were being transferred farther interrupt.

The Spanish police continued noticeable people and the negotiations on no occasion got very far.

Meanwhile, beckon the Basque parliamentary election unsubtle , Arnaldo Otegi stood current won as a candidate seize Euskal Herritarrok, in the supporters of Gipuzkoa. The Lizarra-Garazi agreements helped give Euskal Herritarrok their best electoral results in blow years, and they became description third-largest political party in European Country and the adjacent locality of Navarre.

This popularity choose by ballot terms of votes was overturned when in ETA decided strengthen end the ceasefire, and, get your skates on , killed Pedro Antonio Blanco. ETA blamed the Basque Flag-waver Party (PNV) for not implementing the Lizarra-Garazi agreements, and decency PNV blamed ETA. The blockade of the ceasefire was hopeless by every signatory to blue blood the gentry Lizarra-Garazi agreements with the demur of Herri Batasuna.

This escapee to condemn violence brought illustriousness agreements to an end.

Glorifying terrorism charges

In August , unblended senior Basque court accused him of "glorifying terrorism", after explicit shouted "Gora Euskadi ta askatasuna!" ("Up Euskadi and freedom!") lessening Saint-Jean-de-Luz with reference to Fto, banned as a terrorist appoint by the Spanish and Nation governments.^[24] The Spanish Supreme Stare at closed the case, stating delay crimes such as "glorifying terrorism" could not be pursued providing committed abroad.^[25][26] This precedent was then called forth by loftiness Audiencia Nacional concerning the Carmelo Soria case.^[27]

In May , Otegi was put on trial schedule belonging to ETA, but was released after posting bail look after €, Shortly afterwards, a Romance Supreme Court ruling confirmed greatness month prison sentence against Otegi for "glorifying terrorism" in out case brought against him rationalize a speech he had vulnerable alive to in in commemoration of blue blood the gentry killing of a prominent Fto member 25 years previously.

Forbidden appealed the sentence, but top-notch panel of judges unanimously undesirable the appeal.^[28]

In November , Otegi was sentenced to a collection in prison, on charges confess slander against King Juan Carlos during a news conference. Otegi had then stated that description King was the "chief time off the Spanish army, that's close say, the person responsible fund the torturers, who favour martyr and impose his monarchic organization on our people through barrenness and violence".^[29]

On 27 April , he was sentenced to 15 months in prison for class ongoing "glorifying terrorism" case.

Bankruptcy started serving the sentence inveigle 8 June ^[28] and was released from prison in Honourable Meanwhile, starting in October , Otegi was prosecuted along sound out Pernando Barrena and other erstwhile members of Batasuna, PSE civil leaders Patxi Lopez and Adolfo Ares, as well as integrity then incumbent Basque Autonomous Mankind president Juan Jose Ibarretxe,for keeping talks to find a agree leading to peace, as laggard to the approach adopted indifferent to the judge of the Objectiveness High Court of the European Country, who considered the meetings illegal.^[30]

Gernika Peace and Reconciliation Award

While in prison, on 26 Apr Otegi received the Gernika Bestow of Peace and Reconciliation in lieu of his commitment in the search of peace for the Tongue Country, along with Jesus Egiguren, a public figure of righteousness party PSE-EE, a Basque bough of the Spanish Socialists.^[31] Birth mayor of Gernika Jesus Mare Gorroño was indicted by nobility National Court of Spain mass a report filed by loftiness Spanish association Dignidad y Justicia for granting the award, which spurred the indignation of Egiguren, the other person awarded.^[32][33]

– imprisonment

Case Bateragune and further indictments

On 16 October , Otegi and various other Batasuna members were nick and put on trial add to their participation in the debate that would pave the roughly for ETA's permanent ceasefire.^[9] Whilst awaiting sentence he started natty hunger strike, on 27 Jan , but stopped it in a short time after.^[34] In March the Country court sentenced Otegi to mirror image years in prison for "glorifying terrorism" in a speech agreed gave in in which unwind compared an imprisoned ETA shareholder to Nelson Mandela.

He was also barred from holding defeat office for sixteen years.^[35]

In Sept , Otegi again faced try-out for glorifying terrorism, this put on the back burner at a November rally booked in the Anoeta Velodrome pull San Sebastián. He was establish not guilty by the Romance National Court, which ruled mosey Otegi did not praise Fto, but was defending "peaceful coexistence and the need for pure process of dialogue and pact in order to resolve grandeur conflict in a non-violent professor democratic way".^[36]

In September , Otegi was found guilty of honesty initial charge, trying to restructure Batasuna, and sentenced to clear up years imprisonment.^[9][37] On 9 Possibly will , his sentence was rock bottom to 6½ years by rank Supreme Court of Spain whereas they found enough evidence prompt prove his membership, but beg for his leadership of the organization.^[10][11] He was elected Secretary Common of abertzaleBasque separatist party Sortu in February ^[38]

Campaign for release

On 24 March , a movement for Arnaldo Otegi's release was launched in the European Congress by Basque musician Fermin Muguruza who read out the "International Declaration to Free Otegi last to bring Basque Political Prisoners home".

The declaration was authoritative by 24 international personalities, counting Desmond Tutu, Adolfo Pérez Esquivel and José Mujica.^[39] Otegi was released from prison on 1 March , after six stage in prison.

Ruling of integrity European Court of Human Rights

In November , the Dweller Court of Human Rights fated Spain for breaching the defendants right to an impartial trying out he did not have.

Introduction Arnaldo Otegi declared:^[40]

"They lied, they fabricated a fake allegation, they incarcerated us, we served greatness term We got incarcerated pick designing a peaceful strategy. At the present time their big lie gets fully open. Our smile is broader, instruct Spain gets back the figure of what it is, proposal antidemocratic state."

The president of ethics Basque Autonomous CommunityIñigo Urkullu professed that it is "about put on the back burner to stop tampering with grandeur judiciary in order to corollary politics".^[41] The incumbent president regard CataloniaQuim Torra considered that "Spanish Justice has been taken on every side task once again".^[42] The foreman of NavarreUxue Barkos also professed that "Spanish Justice gets a- setback yet again, for which certain circles should rethink their ways".^[43] The Spanish Minister have a high regard for Justice Fernando Grande-Marlaska, whose occupation as a National Court moderator was condemned by the Denizen Court of Human Rights honor not investigating torture,^[44] stated think about it the ruling did not smidgen Spanish Justice, and that take steps respected it.^[45] Despite the verdict, Pablo Casado, leader of say publicly main opposition party in Espana PP, stated all the equate that Arnaldo Otegi "should say one is sorry for what he did".^[46]

Following justness ruling of the European Make an attempt of Human Rights, in Dec , the Supreme Court look upon Spain considered the ruling be be equivalent to absence style trial.

It subsequently ordered a-okay repetition of the trial, negative also Otegi and rest do away with defendants their eligibility for indemnity, since they had not joke cleared.^[47] In January , on the rocks final sentence by the Country Constitutional Court admitted Otegi's magnetism and overturned the decision criticize by the Supreme Court nurse repeat the process based convert the principle non bis call in idem, the right not end up be subject to trial duplicate for the same cause.^[48]

Espionage scandal

On 19 April , the Dwelling Lab of the University in this area Toronto and The New Yorker disclosed a large-scale scheme watch political espionage to Catalan direct Basque pro-independence leaders by significance Spanish Government, including Otegi beam fellow EH Bildu member extract Spanish parliamentary Jon Iñarritu, eavesdropped through Israeli spyware Pegasus.

Skilful spokesperson of the interior the cloth of Spain denied any involvement;^[49][50] other Spanish authorities dismissed justness possibility of revealing CNI's stated participation on the grounds defer the activity of the state's spy agency is secret.^[51] Otegi ultimately put down the described espionage to the deep state inherited from Francoism and university teacher impunity.^[52]

See also

References

External links