Basque prisoners and human rights

A cross-party group of MEPs is to visit the Basque Country in February to consider the situation of Basque prisoners.

EFA MEPs Josep-Maria Terricabras (Catalonia) and Tatjana Zdanoka (Latvia) will participate in the delegation which follows a visit to the European Parliament in March 2015 by representatives of prisoners' relatives.

The MEPs told a press conference in Brussels that they would meet a cross section of society during their visit of 14 – 16 February. This will include prisoners' relatives, civic society and politicians, trades unions and others.

Concerns have been raised about the policy of the Spanish government to locate Basque prisoners at great distances from their homes and families, and the impact this has on prisoner's relatives in particular.

EFA MEPs have long supported a peaceful, negotiated solution to the conflict in the Basque Country.