Basque protest urged over arrests

Batasuna spokesman Joseba Permach was among those held

Basque separatists have called for street protests over the arrest of more than 20 top members of the banned political party, Batasuna.

Almost the entire alleged leadership of Batasuna was detained in a Thursday night raid in the town of Segura.

The raid, in Spain's northern Basque region, was ordered by top anti-terror judge Baltasar Garzon.

Mr Garzon led moves to outlaw Batasuna five years ago, accusing it of being a front for the armed separatists, Eta.

The Basque militants of Eta called off a 15-month ceasefire earlier this year.

The raid in Segura is said to have targeted a Batasuna meeting where the party's old guard was transferring control to new leaders.

The operation was the latest in a four-month crackdown against Basque separatists that has included the arrest of Batasuna's leader, Arnaldo Otegi, on charges of "glorifying terrorism".

Among those detained on Thursday was Joseba Permach, who has acted as Batasuna's main spokesman since Mr Otegi's arrest.

He and his colleagues from the Segura meeting are expected to be transferred for questioning to Madrid, a judicial official told the AFP news agency.

The agency quoted the official as saying the group of 23 would face charges stemming from Mr Garzon's investigation into allegations that Batasuna financed Eta's activities.

Tough line

Spain's Attorney General, Candido Conde Pumpido, welcomed the latest arrests, saying some of those held were accused of co-operating with an armed group.

"These activities cannot be tolerated, so if the police find out about them, as they did in this case in Segura, it seems prudent that they be ordered to intervene," he told Spanish public radio RNE.

However, Basques have been urged to protest against the arrests.

The Segura raid was the latest move in a four-month crackdown

Posters appeared in Basque villages on Friday calling for demonstrations and the pro-Batasuna newspaper, Gara, called the Segura arrests "a declaration of war".

A senior member of Batasuna, Pernando Barrena, criticised the arrests as an attempt by the governing Socialist party to bolster its standing ahead of elections next March.

Mr Barrena also told AFP the government was pursuing "revenge" against Batasuna because the group had taken a "firm line" in peace talks last year.

Before Batasuna was banned in 2003, it represented about 15% of the people in the Basque region on local councils and in the regional government.

The separatist militants of Eta are blamed for the deaths of more than 800 people during a four-decade campaign to set up an independent Basque state in northern Spain and south-western France.

Spain's socialist government has been quick to take a hardline approach against Eta to maintain electoral support.

The group is considered a terrorist organisation by Spain, the European Union and the United States.