BASQUECOUNTRY

Source: Etxerat. Map: GARA

4424St. M. de Re

9732Bapaume

9623Clairvaux

7103Moulins-Yzeure

6993Tarascon

2316Lannemezan

2332Gradignan

1563Mont de Marsan

5606St. Maur

8107Fresnes

8383Poissy

8473Villepinte

8175La Santé

8293Nanterre

80612Fleury M.

8243Bois d´Arcy

8754Osny

PARIS

99414Huelva

1.02031

7669Jaén81811

Córdoba

7569Badajoz

6576Cáceres II

46712Topas

6131Bonxe

6435Monterroxo

6519 Curtis

73812 A Lama

3846Villabona

3668Mansilla

3055Dueñas

3497Valladolid

4021Brieva

4081Segovia

2186Burgos

1662El Dueso

2614Soria

30012Zuera

3433Daroca

4321Teruel

57417Castelló I y II

60122Valencia II y III

7509

62013Herrera M.

51310Ocaña I y II

MADRID

The reference to calculate distances is the city of Donostia (San Sebastian)

Prisoners

Prison

Km.

S P A I N4215

S. del Real

5117Aranjuez

8672 Meaux

F R A N C E

1655Logroño

7013Rennes

7352Alençon

8345

Reau

7462Roanne

8641B.-en-Bresse

Puerto I, II y IIIMurcia I y II

96011Sevilla II

86014Granada

Alacant I

70711Alacant II (Villena)

Muret CD y Seysses

6621Arles

5203Beziers

8923Liancourt

8753Lyon

Number of prisons

Number of prisoners

Basque Country

Spain

France

Germany

England

Portugal

Serving sentences at home

3

45

26

1

1

1

-

5

352

96

1

1

1

5

76 455TOTAL

Martutene2

Basauri1

Zaballa2

4675Poitiers

4634Alcalá

4853Navalcarnero

5166Estremera

3292

81818

#BSQsHUMANRIGHTS

Nowadays there are 455 Basque political prisoners imprisoned.

Numbers in each prison:

DISPERSAL POLICY MAP

Etxerat.eusR e l a t i v e s a n d f r i e n d s o f t h e B a s q u e p o l i t i c a l p r i s o n e r s

ASSOCIATION

1. We are relatives and friends of Basque political prisoners, exiles and deportees. Being a rela-tive of a prisoner is not a matter of choice, but rather a situation imposed on us by the impri-sonment or exile of our relatives. As such, there are di�erent opinions and ideas among us.

2. This situation (of our relatives in exile, imprisonment and deportation) not only puts us face to face with the violation of their rights, but also of our rights as we do not abandon our emotional bonds with them.

3. We denounce the violation of our relatives’ rights and the violation of our rights, as well as using these rights as an instrument of blackmail, pressure and revenge.

4. We demand respect for all these people’s rights as an essential step towards resolution and peace.

5. We also demand recognition of these people’s su�ering as a guarantee of a narrative based on truth and also as a guarantee of non-repetition.

WHAT IS ETXERAT?

It is an association where relatives of Basque political prisoners, exiles and deportees can find:

• Assistance, advice and support to help them minimize the damage due to a harmful and traumatic situation that a�ects all aspects of their physical, mental, social and economic life: prison, exile, and deportation.

• A space where their experiences can be shared and understood

• An area of work: information, testimony, denunciation of wrong and demand for justice.

WHAT IS DISPERSAL POLICY?

It is a special discriminatory policy applied by di�erent Spanish and French governments for near-ly three decades to the Basque political prisoners against the principles contained in the Spanish Penal Code: ”The Spanish prisons are scattered throughout the country allowing inmates to serve their sentences in the nearest prison to their birthplace in order to avoid family and social uproo-ting.” 455 Basque political prisoners are imprisoned in 76 prisons.

DATA

Distance Percentage Total distance for relatives

More than 1.000 km 14,06% (64 people) More than 2000 km on average per visit

Between 990-800 km 26,81% (122 people) 1800 km on average per visit

Between 790-500 km 36,48% (166 people) 1300 km om average per visit

Between 490-400 km 6,81% (31 people) 900 km on average per visit

Less than 400 km 14,72% (67 people) 600 km on average per visit

Portugal, England and Germany 0,65% (3 people) More than 2000 on average per visit

Therefore, the dispersal policy was designed with the aim to uproot the prisoners of their social, emotional and family environment, in addition to denying their right to take part in the political life of their country.

WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES?

This special measure applied to our imprisoned relatives directly a�ects their family and close environment.

To exercise our right to visit them, we, relatives and friends are forced to travel in the worst conditions

thousands of miles to visit them for an hour and a half (half an hour in Spain). The physical, financial and emo-

tional toll is evident, even more in the cases of very remo-te prisons or in cases of very long sentences (some prisoners

have served sentences of up to 31 years in).

The most serious consequence is that in more than 25 years of dispersal policy 16 relatives and friends have died on the

road, when travelling to visit an imprisoned relative. As long as this dispersal policy does not stop these families are at risk of death. As we do not abandon our emotional bonds with them, nowadays the family and friends of Basque political prisoners are doomed to continue traveling and

to have high expenses. Our right to family conciliation, to life and in several cases, to health are subject to a political

decision.

We are unrecognized victims of a policy that seeks to pressure Basque political prisoners through their relatives. Victims of

abuses, harassments, discriminations and systematic vio-lations of our fundamental rights.

www.etxerat.eus