Arnaldo Otegi will be released tomorrow from the Prison of Logroño after a 6,5 years sentence.

His release is expected after 8:00 in the morning and a homecoming event has been organised tomorrow evening on his hometown, Elgoibar, including a concert by Fermin Muguruza, promoter of the “Free Otegi, bring Basque political prisoners home” declaration.

Despite the attempts of Spanish Government representative in the Basque Autonomous Community to ban these events, a mass meeting has been organised for Saturday 5th March, in Donostia’s Belodromoa (an indoor arena that can hold as many as 8.500 people). Eloy Velasco, judge f¡rom the Spanish National Court, has ordered police bodies to guard the events to identify possible “gloryfication of terrorism offences”.

The event, under the motto ASKATASUNA, (FREEDOM) is expected to be massive and will be Arnaldo’s first mas event more than 7 years after his last public intervention.

The International Declaration “Free Otegi, Bring Basque Prisoners Home” and the subsequent campaign, “Free Otegi, Free Them All”, have received over 400 endorsements, a song has been written and over 17.000 people marched last October asking for Arnaldo’s release.