12/02/2007
Thousands of protesters marched and held a rally in the northern Basque port city of Bilbao Sunday to protest against the rounding up of people out on bail for a case known as 18/98.
Several thousand protesters marched carrying placards reading "In favor of the Basque Country's democratic rights."
Attendants to the rally included senior members of the outlawed party Batasuna such as Jone Goizelaia, Pernando Barrena or Karmelo Landa; the general secretary of the Basque union LAB, Rafa Díez; the spokeswoman for the Basque left-wing party EHAK, Nekane Erauskin; and some senior members of Aralar.
Spanish police on Friday began detaining 56 Basques who went on trial in November 2005, were convicted of indirectly aiding ETA, and then released on bail pending sentencing.
Those convicted were judged to have aided the armed Basque group ETA through a network of outwardly legitimate social and political organizations. Police began the roundup to avoid the possibility of those convicted fleeing Spain before they were sentenced, officials said.
Up to 37 people have been arrested, lawyer Jone Goirizelaia told reporters. The case ended in March. Judges are expected to begin meting out sentences later this month.
The trial stemmed from an eight-year inquiry by Baltasar Garzon, Spain's leading anti-terror investigator. Garzon argued that ETA was not made up solely of armed commandos but was supported through political, financial and media organizations.
The defendants were accused of belonging to these groups, some of which had been outlawed previously. The organizations, such as the banned youth group Ekin, engaged in activities ranging from fundraising and helping ETA plan attacks to organizing street violence, Garzon charged.
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