H.E. Jose Maria Aznar
Prime Minister
Madrid
Spain

Vienna, 25 May 2001

Your Excellency,

The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors and media executives, condemns in the strongest possible terms the killing of a newspaper executive in Spain’s Basque region.

On 24 May, Santiago Oleaga Elejabarrieta was shot seven times, three times in the head, after he had parked his car at a hospital in the city of San Sebastian. Oleaga, the financial director of regional daily El Diario Vasco, had driven to the hospital to receive physiotherapy treatment for an injured shoulder. According to the police, Basque separatist group ETA is behind the killing. In the past, the armed group has targeted El Diario Vasco, a vocal opponent of ETA’s use of violence to achieve their political aims. Last year the offices of the daily were attacked five times and it has received a number of threats.

The killing of Oleaga comes only nine days after a failed attempt on another journalist’s life. On 15 May, journalist Gorka Landaburu suffered injuries to his hands and face when he opened a parcel bomb delivered to his house in the town of Zarautz. It is widely believed that ETA is responsible for the attack on Landaburu. Many commentators see ETA’s recent attacks against journalists as a response to the electoral failure of Euskal Herritarrok – commonly held to be ETA’s political wing. On 13 May, in regional parliamentary elections, the party lost half of its seats in the Basque parliament. As a result of ETA’s use of political violence, many journalists live under police protection out of fear of being targeted for their reporting.

IPI believes that attacks like these are in gross violation of everyone’s right to “seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media” as guaranteed by Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Therefore, we urge Your Excellency to ensure that there is a thorough investigation into these attacks and that those guilty are brought swiftly to justice.

We thank you for your attention.

Yours sincerely,

Johann P. Fritz
Director

Copies sent to:

H.E. Juan José Ibarretxe Markuartu
President elect/Lehendakari
Lehendakaritza
Palacio de Ajuria-Enea
Paseo Fray Frascisco, 5
01007 Vitoria-Gasteiz

Mr. Xabier Arzalluz Antia
President
EUZKADI BURU BATZARRA
Calle Ibáńez de Bilbao, 16 – Sabin Etxea
48001 Bilbao

Mr. Arnando Otegi Mondragon
Spokesperson
EUSKAL HERRITARROK (EH)
Ramiro Maeztu, 6 bajo
01008 Vitoria (Alava)