The Celtic League has welcomed the decision of the Spanish government to accede to the demands by a Basque prisoner on hunger strike to be moved back to the Basque country from a prison in Madrid.

However in correspondence from Celtic League Secretary General, Rhisiart Tal-e-bot, the League say that the general policy of dispersal of other Basque prisoners to prisons away from their homeland also needs to be addressed (see below):

"Dear Prime Minister Zapatero

Iñaki De Juana Chaos

The Celtic League would like to praise the action taken by your Government last week to allow De Juana Chaos, the ETA prisoner, to be released from the hospital in Madrid and returned to the Basque Country.

The League deplores violence of any kind, but as your Interior Minister, Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba, said "The state has to be humane even with those who did not act this way with their victims."

Nevertheless the Celtic League is against the policy of the deliberate dispersion of prisoners and has campaigned against such dispersals of Breton and Irish prisoners in the past. We are aware that there are a significant number of Basque prisoners who are living hundreds of miles away from their homes across 4 states, including one prisoner being held in jail in London, England.

Dispersal policies make it extremely difficult for families and friends to visit prisoners and often incur a large financial and personal burden. We therefore urge you to stop this policy and, as in the case of De Juana Chaos, repatriate all Basque prisoners and return them closer to their homes.

Yours sincerely

Rhisiart Tal-e-bot"

The Celtic League has consistently pressed for better treatment for those imprisoned as a result of the Basque campaign for self determination.

J B Moffatt Director of Information Celtic League

09/03/07

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