Here you can see the 11th edition of the EFAY Newsletter
Enjoy the reading!!

The EFAy condemn the escalation of the Basque conflict that left one member of the Guardia Civil dead and another seriously injured in the northern Basque town of Capbreton, 20 km from Bayonne/Biarritz in the state of France on Saturday 1st December.

It is believed that those responsible belonged to the Basque terrorist group ETA and is the first fatal attack in the French state since 1976. The two victims were found in an unmarked car outside a café and were on an undercover operation with the French police authorities. It is thought that the victims were in the same café as their killers, but after recognising each other the Guardia Civil left, only to be followed by the gunmen and killed.

Two men and a woman are thought to be responsible for the attack and are being looked for by the French police. If ETA is responsible, the attack is the first fatal killing since the official end of the cease fire in June 2007, although there have also been a number of failed attacks by ETA since that time.

French Interior Minister Michele Alliot-Marie, said at a press conference on the weekend:

"By all accounts, this is something that was done in cold blood and it's the first time that that has happened."

A pro democracy and independence rally took place in Iruna/Pamplona yesterday (02/12/07) following the arrest of 46 people, many from left wing political and social youth organisations.

The arrests followed a Spanish High Court decision to issue the arrest warrants for members of Basque groups Ekin, Orain, Xaki and Fundación Joxemi Zumalabe, who are suspected of having links with the Basque terrorist organisation ETA. The people have been arrested and convicted by the judges, although the verdicts will not be read out until after December 10 th. It is believed that some of those who have had arrest warrants issued against them have not been arrested yet or named for fear that they will leave the state of Spain.

Those defendants, who believe they will be arrested soon, urged Basque citizens to rally in Bilbao today (03/12/07), in a protest which saw thousands of demonstrators taking to the streets in the city centre, under the slogan "For the rights of the Basque Country. Freedom for all the political options."

The EFAy have always maintained that for peace in the Basque Country to come about, all parties should be included in the discussion. Banning groups and arresting their members can only bring about a feeling of mistrust in the democratic process.