Last Sunday 7th February Angela Davis tried to visit Arnaldo Otegi in the Prison of Logroño. Despite having fulfilled all the legal request in December, Angela was refused entrance by the Spanish Military Police in the gate of Logroño’s prison.
Angela Davis had gone to the prison with Amaia Izko, spokesperson for Sortu, the Basque Party of which Arnaldo Otegi is Secretary General, and Basque artist, Fermin Muguruza, endorser and promoter of the “Free Otegi, bring Basque political prisoners home” declaration. She was received by Arnaldo Otegi’s family who presented her with a small token of their gratitude.
After the refusal Angela Davis gave a public statement to the numerous media present, showing her solidarity to Arnaldo and all Basque Political Prisoners. Several Basque media and Associated Press were present and the information has been published by a wide range on Basque, Spanish and International Media.
On the evening of Sunday 7th February a solidarity festival was organised by Fermin Muguruza as part of the “Free Otegi, Free Them All” campaign, under the title “Angela Davis is our Friend”, the title was based upon one of his historical songs. Every single ticket had been sold 10 days in advance and a packed concert hall listened to several very well known Basque artists and intellectuals.
Unfortunately this is not the first time Arnaldo’s visitors are refused in the prison’s gate 3 MEPs were refused entrance in 2013 and German MP Andrej Hunko was refused once and had to appeal to the Spanish Ambassador in Berlin to get permission, he latter declared “I want to say that I have visited a lot of prisons, and not even in Turkey or Kazakhstan have I had to live a situation like that.”
