Berango defendants highlight popular support ahead of trial

The trial will take place from June 8 to 26, and the defendants have called for mobilizations in defense of fundamental rights.

Generic image of a protest.
IA

Generic image of a protest.

The defendants from Berango, after a four-year judicial process, have emphasized the support from citizens and organizations to face the trial scheduled from June 8 to 26, and have called for mobilizations in defense of fundamental rights.

The defendants from Berango, after a lengthy four-year judicial process, have emphasized the support from citizens and various organizations to face the trial scheduled from June 8 to 26. "The support from people and different agents fills us with strength to face the trial," they stated, referring to the backing received in press conferences, talks across Euskal Herria, and initiatives like the Urduliz Solidarity Day. They noted that people have seen this as "an attack against all of us, as we are an oppressed people".
The trial will take place on June 8, 15, 18, 24, 25, and 26, at the San Fernando facility and the one on Genova street. The court dates are organized according to the predictions of the judge, Fernando Andreu, and will include police declarations, reports, evidence, defendants' testimonies, and conclusions.
The defendants clearly see "an attack against fundamental rights" behind this case, with a repressive objective. They mentioned the attempts by the VOX party and other far-right organizations to ban welcome events, as well as the persecution of political activists documented in police reports. The goal, they stated, is "to spread fear through the threat of sentences," as a "tool to carry out the assimilation process that the Spanish and French states apply to Euskal Herria".
A demonstration has been called for May 30 in Berango under the slogan "In defense of civil and political rights! ….Full Amnesty!". They stated that the root of these repressive attacks is the "national oppression that Euskal Herria suffers," and they demand amnesty, as "only by achieving the return of the repressed and overcoming the oppression of the Spanish and French states will we have guaranteed civil and political rights".
The regional support, as well as support from all over Euskal Herria, demonstrates "how deeply rooted the defense of fundamental rights and the legitimacy of the right to rise against all oppression" are. Recalling the slogan "They are not 16, we are a people!", they see "the people's response as the sole guarantee to win this case".
In addition to the demonstration, they are active on social media and established the "Solidarity Committee with those from Berango" last year to provide support and raise awareness about the case. A current account has also been opened to cover legal expenses. International protests have been held, and around 30 talks and media interviews have been conducted. Next Saturday, May 23, a car caravan is organized from Plentzia and Erandio to Berango, and on May 30, the national demonstration will depart from Telletxe in Algorta.