Catalan ‘torture victims’ barred from Parliament

By Martin Banks

Date: 20/11/03

A ROW erupted in the European Parliament in Strasbourg this week, after security staff were accused of "sabotaging" a news conference by alleged victims of torture from the Spanish region of Catalonia.

The event was organized by Spanish MEP Miquel Mayol to coincide with a hearing in the Strasbourg-based European Court of Human Rights, following a case brought by 40 Catalan activists.

But the deputy claimed that 33 of the alleged victims and their supporters were refused entry into the Parliament by security staff. Eventually, 12 were allowed into the building, but were prevented from entering the press room.

Mayol, a member of the Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) party, said: "This is clear political sabotage against the democratic cause of the struggle for Catalan independence. Once again, the anti-terrorism argument has been successfully misused as a scapegoat against two fundamental freedoms - freedom of expression and freedom of the press."

Responding to the MEP's complaint about the activists being barred from the chamber, Parliament spokesman David Harley said: "[Parliament President] Pat Cox takes this matter very seriously and will ask the security service for a full report."