Egunkaria was, for thirteen years, the only Basque language newspaper in circulation, until it was closed down on 20th February, 2003 by the Spanish authorities, due to allegations of an illegal association with ETA, the armed Basque seperatist group. Its mantle has been taken up by Berria, which issued its first edition on 21st June, 2003. Basque may refer to: Look up Basque in Wiktionary, the free dictionary The Basque language The Basque people A basque (clothing) See also: The Basque Country, the homeland of the Basques Basque Country (autonomous community), an administrative division of Spain Basque nationalism Basque mythology Basque music Basque Nationalist Party Basque... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see ETA (disambiguation). ... Basque may refer to: Look up Basque in Wiktionary, the free dictionary The Basque language The Basque people A basque (clothing) See also: The Basque Country, the homeland of the Basques Basque Country (autonomous community), an administrative division of Spain Basque nationalism Basque mythology Basque music Basque Nationalist Party Basque... Political separatism is a movement to obtain sovereignty and split a territory or group of people (usually a people with a distinctive national consciousness) from one another (or one nation from another; a colony from the metropolis). ... Berria is the only newspaper published wholly in the Basque language and which can be read in the entirety of the Basque country. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Egunkaria was established in 1990 as the first and only Basque-language newspaper. It enjoyed a readership of an estimated 15,000 people and was a widely respected publication throughout the Basque country. On 20th February, 2003, the Spanish Civil Guard raided the newspaper's offices, seized documents and computers, and froze the newspaper's assets. In addition, ten individuals who were or had been members of staff were arrested in dawn raids and held incommunicado for up to five days. Basque may refer to: Look up Basque in Wiktionary, the free dictionary The Basque language The Basque people A basque (clothing) See also: The Basque Country, the homeland of the Basques Basque Country (autonomous community), an administrative division of Spain Basque nationalism Basque mythology Basque music Basque Nationalist Party Basque... Basque may refer to: Look up Basque in Wiktionary, the free dictionary The Basque language The Basque people A basque (clothing) See also: The Basque Country, the homeland of the Basques Basque Country (autonomous community), an administrative division of Spain Basque nationalism Basque mythology Basque music Basque Nationalist Party Basque... Look up country in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In December 2004, Iñaki Uria, Joan Mari Torrealdai, Txema Auzmendi, Xabier Alegria, Pello Zubira, Xabier Oleaga, and Martxelo Otamendi were arrested for forming an "illegal association" at the time of Egunkaria's establishment, and for "membership of, or collaboration with, ETA. All were later cleared of all charges, and released. The newspaper was also effectively forced into liquidation as its assets were sold off by Court-appointed administators, meaning that regardless of the outcome of the case, Egunkaria had ceased to exist. Five of those individuals detained have alleged that they were tortured by the Spanish Civil Guard. It has been designated the: International Year of Rice (by the United Nations) International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO) 2004 World Health Day topic was Road Safety (by World Health Organization) Year of the Monkey (by the Chinese calendar) See the world in... For other uses, see ETA (disambiguation). ...

The closure of Egunkaria resulted in widepread criticism being directed towards the Spanish authorities, and many free-speech organisations quickly moved to condemn the closure, considering it to be as a breach of the human right of freedom of expression, and a move away from democracy. The writer Salman Rushdie denounced the closure as "appalling", and the English newspaper The Independent made a small but symbolic financial donation towards the opening of the new Basque language publication, Berria. The term writer can apply to anyone who creates a written work, but the word more usually designates those who write creatively or professionally, or those who have written in many different forms. ... Salman Rushdie Salman Rushdie (born Ahmed Salman Rushdie, Urdu: أحمد سلمان رشدی, Hindi: अह्मद सलमान रश्डी on June 19, 1947, in Bombay, India) is an Indian-born British essayist and author of fiction, most of which is set on the Indian subcontinent. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my [birth]right) Englands location (dark green) within the British Isles Languages English (de facto) Capital London de facto Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population – Total (mid-2004) – Total (2001 Census) – Density Ranked... For other uses, see The Independent (disambiguation). ... Basque may refer to: Look up Basque in Wiktionary, the free dictionary The Basque language The Basque people A basque (clothing) See also: The Basque Country, the homeland of the Basques Basque Country (autonomous community), an administrative division of Spain Basque nationalism Basque mythology Basque music Basque Nationalist Party Basque... Berria is the only newspaper published wholly in the Basque language and which can be read in the entirety of the Basque country. ...

References

Martxelo Otamendi's allegations of torture

Freedom of expression group ARTICLE 19's criticims ARTICLE 19 is a human rights organisation with a specific mandate and focus on the defence and promotion of freedom of expression and freedom of information worldwide. ...

Basque newspaper Berria covers Salman Rushdie's participation Basque may refer to: Look up Basque in Wiktionary, the free dictionary The Basque language The Basque people A basque (clothing) See also: The Basque Country, the homeland of the Basques Basque Country (autonomous community), an administrative division of Spain Basque nationalism Basque mythology Basque music Basque Nationalist Party Basque...

Links

Berria Berria is the only newspaper published wholly in the Basque language and which can be read in the entirety of the Basque country. ...