Catalan Solidarity: The Spanish ex-minister of Defense openly incites the practice of torture

Sunday, January 20, 2008

The Spanish ex-minister of Defense openly incites the practice of torture

He ‘advised’ the armed and police forces to use torture and not to be shy in practicing State terrorism.

During a radio interview and through other media clippings, when he was asked about the ETA members who recently were arrested and brutally tortured until the extreme of having to be hospitalized, he answered that “there shouldn’t be any casualties but if there had to be, they shouldn’t be members of the State”.
According to anti-repressive organisation Socors Roig Internacional
(International Red Aid), he went on declaring in a reactionary attitude that “all the Spanish have to side with those they must” a statement which doesn’t allow room to asking any questions on dirty war, torture and murder and those who carry it out.

These public statements have come just a year after since the reports of Amnesty International and other international and national human rights bodies which point to the Spanish State as responsible for continuous torture practices with over a 1000 annual official complaints, and the absolute lack of political will to deal with the matter.

http://www.presos.org.es/BalanceRepresivo.htm
http://www.presos.org.es

Support that Political Prisoners receive from inside Catalonia

Catalan Solidarity has been inspired by the work of Catalan Anti-Repressive organisations such as Alerta Solidària and Rescat, who were set up with the aim of supporting Catalan people who have been imprisoned by the Spanish government for politically motivated activism. Following mass arrests and imprisonment of activists connected to the independentists and anti-fascist movements an informal collective came together to provide both practical support to prisoners and challenge the media portrayal of such individuals which had been fuelled throughout the Spanish mainland by a government, media and police conspiracy. As well as offering practical support and advice to imprisoned Catalans, their supporters and those awaiting trial, Rescat has been involved in high profile demonstrations, including those in front of the main court in Madrid where people have been judged, actions to support political prisoners who are on hunger strike and events to raise awareness of the political situation in Catalonia.