French Authorities And Basque Refugees

EDM number 1116 in 1994-95, proposed by Norman A Godman on 15/05/1995.

That this House expresses its concern at the summary arrest by the French authorities of over 100 Breton citizens for providing hospitality to Basque refugees; notes the well-established tradition in Brittany of welcoming Basque refugees fleeing from torture and persecution in Spain during and after the Fascist regime of Franco and that this was until 1986 supported by the French Government and local authorities; regards as significant the fact that none of those arrested has been charged or brought to trial; registers concern at reports of intimidating behaviour by the police and the degrading conditions in which it is alleged the detainees were held; notes the widespread popular condemnation of the action of the French authorities in this matter and the suspicion that what is afoot is a process of intimidating the Breton regionalist cultural movement; and calls upon the French authorities to desist from this strategy and to exonerate the arrestees unless they are able to provide firm evidence that their actions are necessary in the interests of public security and the prevention of terrorism.

This motion has been signed by a total of 18 MPs.