Vitoria (EFE).- The Basque Parliament, without the support of EH Bildu, has asked the public powers to promote measures to avoid the “offense, humiliation and re-victimization” of the victims of terrorism.
This issue has reached the plenary session of the Chamber of Vitoria after the controversy broke out in April over the content collected on the websites of various Basque town halls dedicated to the recovery of historical memory.
There were records of victims of terrorism and members of ETA as affected by human rights violations.
Etarras such as “Txapote”, “Thierry” or Bienzobas were included
In these lists, which were prepared by the Aranzadi science society, the criminal record of the ETA members did not appear, including “Txapote”, “Thierry” or Jon Bienzobas.
They were shown as “victims of police persecution, exile for fear of torture or application of the exceptional prison policy.”
They were included on the websites of two municipalities governed by the PNV, Erandio (Bizkaia) and Tolosa (Gipuzkoa), and six headed by EH Bildu: Galdakao, Orio, Oiartzun, Hernani, Villabona and Azpeitia.
The first town halls to react were those of the PNV, which withdrew those lists, and later those of EH Bildu adopted a similar measure.
The plenary has given green light to an amendment transacted between PNV, PSE and Elkarrekin Podemos-IU also supported by PP+Cs and Vox which have rejected EH Bildu and Vox.
In addition to urging to fight against the humiliation of the victims, the Chamber has expressed its commitment to the construction of an inclusive, critical, ethical and democratic memory based on the recognition of the injustice of terrorism and politically motivated violence.
It has asked that all tools and initiatives related to victims and memory respond to the criteria established by international human rights organizations.
Parliamentarians of EH Bildu during the plenary session of Parliament this Thursday. EFE/L.Rico
Bildu: The controversy is for an electoral interest
The parliamentarian of EH Bildu Julen Arzuaga has defended the work carried out by the Aranzadi society “of which the parties were informed”, which knew the material.
He has considered that this controversy has been armed from a “purely political” and electoralist interest.
He has also said that it is a “lie” that “victims and perpetrators” have been put on the same level.
Arzuaga has insisted that the coalition will always work with the intention of “building bridges” that other parties want to destroy.
They reproach Bildu for not recognizing the damage of ETA
During the debate, parliamentarians from the PNV, PSE, PP+Cs and Vox criticized EH Bildu for not yet recognizing the damage caused by ETA.
Iñigo Iturrate (PNV) has said that memory must always delegitimize violence and regretted that Bildu continues to fail to recognize that ETA’s strategy to impose a political project “was unfair.”
“Unfortunately, there is still a lot to be done,” he said after showing his “affection, warmth and closeness” with the victims who have felt hurt by these websites.
Miren Gallastegui (PSE) has denounced that after five years of the definitive dissolution of ETA, EH Bildu has not yet expressed any self-criticism about its role in the past.
“We are not going to allow even a single step back to take place or that the theory of the conflict or a minimal justification of ETA be paid from institutional spaces,” he stressed.
The parliamentary spokesperson for Elkarrekin Podemos-IU, Miren Gorrotxategi, has said that those lists in which they appear assassinated by ETA and ETA members are “insulting” to the victims.
He has opined that it was not an intentional act but “an error” of the search engine that was included in the web.
Carmelo Barrio (PP+Cs) has branded EH Bildu as “ETA launderers” and has denounced the “attacks” on the victims on those websites.
Amaia Martínez (Vox) has reproached the PNV and PSE for “whitewashing” a party like EH Bildu that “has ETA members among its ranks”. EFE