The following is a translation from the Indymedia Euskal Herria.
Basque Country - Sole Basque Language Newspaper Closed by the Police.
Five years after the closure of the left-separatist newspaper Egin, the Guardia civil, following the orders of the Spanish judge Juan del Olmo of the national court, has closed "Euskaldunon Egunkaria". the only daily newspaper in the basque language. Ten people have been arrested and their offices in Bilbao, Gasteiz-Vitoria and Pampalona have been closed. The central office in the city of Andoain has also been shut down.
The houses of those arrested were also searched by Spanish police, as was also the federal office of the Basque School in Saint Sebastian, and those of the journals Jakin and Argia. The latter however were not shut down.
Those arrested are: Xabier Oleaga, formerly employed by the newspaper and currently head of communications at the Federation of Basque Schools; Martxelo Otamendi, director of the newspaper; Pello Zubiria, driector of the Basque language political journal Argia and director of Euskaldunon Egunkaria; Iñaki Uria, adviser to Egunkaria; Joan Mari Torrealdai, editorial director; Xabier Alegria, Fermin Lazkano, Luis Goya, Txema Auzmendi, assistant directors at Herri Irratia, a radio station; and lastly Inma Gomila arrested this morning in Olartzun. This last arrest may be due to the fact that Inma worked at the newspaper.
After these arrests during the night, the Guardia civil went on to conduct searches in the various buildings and offices belonging to Euskaldunon Egunkaria. In the central office in Martin Ugalde Park, the search lasted more than six hours and the involvement of 300 members of the Guardia Civil.
They are accused of collaboration and being part of an armed group through the three companies of the group, Egunkaria S.A., Egunkaria Sortzen S.A., e Egunkaria Sortzen S.L.
The workers of Euskaldunon Egunkaria held an assembly in front of the head office in Andoain. After the assembly the workers confirmed that they will continue to produce an edition of the newspaper in Basque on a daily basis.
In addition the web-site http:www.egunkaria.com has been closed.
It's not the first time that an organization working for the promotion of the basque language has been attacked. Three years ago the publisher Zabaltzen was closed on the orders of the Judge Garzon and further down the line it was settled by an order of the Supreme Court that there was no connection between Zabaltzen and any armed group."
