Batasuna spokesman, Pernando Barrena (main photo), announced yesterday that the 'izquierda abertzale' movement accepts the condition imposed by High Court judge, Baltasar Garzón (second photo), which means that this evening's rally to present the movement's candidates at the forthcoming local and regional elections will go ahead as planned.

Judge Garzón ruled yesterday that a political rally to launch the 'Abertzalen Sozialisten Batasuna' party (ABS) in Barakaldo should be banned given the obvious link to the outlawed Batasuna party, that is ETA's mouthpiece.

The condition imposed dictates that the rally would not be illegal if the forty-one individuals promoting the event promise that no direct or indirect reference will be made to the name chosen for the new party (ABS) during the event. 

High Court judge bans 'new Batasuna' rally
By: thinkSPAIN
Friday, March 30, 2007

High Court judge, Baltasar Garzón, has banned a political rally in Barakaldo (Vizcaya) tomorrow afternoon that had been organised to launch the Abertzalen Sozialisten Batasuna (ASB) party and present its candidates for the local and regional elections on the 27th May on the grounds that the party "could be a continuation of Batasuna."

The Batasuna party was declared illegal by the Supreme Tribunal in March 2003, upholding an initial High Court ruling by Judge Garzón dating from the 26th August 2002.

The motion to ban Saturday's rally was proposed by chief prosecutor, Javier Zaragoza, on the grounds that there were "well-founded reasons" to believe that the event was related to Batasuna and other "illegal" organisations representing the Basque terror group, ETA.

Mr Zaragoza also alleges that the ASB is clearly the successor to Batasuna, with which it shares at least two executive committee members.

Speaking in San Sebastián earlier today, Batasuna spokesman, Arnaldo Otego, warned that by rejecting the application to register the ABS, the government would be "saying no to the democratic proposal, no to the (peace) process and no to political dialogue."