Republican News · Thursday 15 August 2002

[An Phoblacht]

Appeal on behalf of Breton prisoners

I am writing to you on behalf of SKOAZELL VREIZH, support committee for the political prisoners of Britanny, currently incarcerated in French gaols for over two years without charge or trial and without any political status recognition or rights

Born in the 9th century, the kingdom of Britanny, deeply rooted in its Celtic culture, traditions, language and history, was in existence long before the French nation was created in the 12th century. After centuries of independence, Britanny signed a treaty with the king of France in 1532, which despite a union between the two nations, still guarantees the rights of Britanny in terms of nationality, justice and economy.

The Bretons have always aspired to their independence and self determination, the French fighting back with a policy of unification, never so virulent and determined than during the French Revolution, when it came to full effect, subjecting all "its citizens" to a policy of elimination, erasing any difference in nationality and culture. The existence of the Breton nation was then denied, from its language to its history, its way of life, its economic system and its culture.

To this day, Britanny does still not exist officially as a nation, its language and history surviving through the will and determination of the Bretons alone, its territory still divided and amputated by French geography. The Bretons have fought in various ways in the past centuries to regain their rights in term of culture and national recognition, to heavy and bloody cost along the years.

Over the past 35 years, Breton militants have continually been harassed, arrested and prosecuted by the French legal and political system. From 1963 to 1981, la "Cour de surete de l'Etat" (State Security Court) took charge of all the political cases, thus ensuring and applying a polital status to all prisoners arrested under its juridiction. From 1981 to 1986, the common criminal justice system took all political cases over, thus denying any political rights. Finally in 1986, the French government established an "exceptional Court", omitting to include any rights to special political status in the cases brought to its court.

It is in this context that over 350 Bretons have been deffered to the French justice system since 1992. In the early '90s, Bretons were arrested en masse, accused of harbouring and sheltering Basque nationalists. Since 1999, over 150 Bretons have been arrested and kept on remand for various amounts of time.

Eight Breton militants have been on remand in and around the French capital for over two years, without specific charge or proof of any guilt and without specific status. The French system does not recognise any political implication and rights in those cases and denies the fundamental basic legal right of "presumption of innocence". It ignores all human rights rules and regulations during arrests, and actively persecutes and harrasses any individual insisting on his or her rights in term of nationality or Breton identity. Under an "exceptional jurididiction", all police arrests have been extended from 48 hours to 96 hours and a "special" non-jury court entirely constituted of magistrates is the sole judge and executor.

It is for the eight prisoners currently held in remand that we ask for your help. They are all Breton political activists, mostly members of Emgann (Breton independentist political party) and accused without proof of membership to the ARB (Breton Republican Army). Please support them by writing to them or sending them messages via the mail addresses we have set up for them.

Only a few words will make a difference. The prisoners are:

Alain Sole (alainsole@bzh.net). 17348-cel.A 125.M.a des Hautes Seines.133 avenue de la Commune de Paris.Bp 1414.92014 Nanterres.France

Arno Vannier ( arnovannier@bzh.net). 303.684.S-D.1-G332-Maison d'arret de Fleury Merogis-7 avenue des peupliers-91705 Saint Genevieve des Bois-France

Stephane Philippe ( stephanphilippe@bzh.net). 273209-B117-42 rue de la sante-75674 Paris cedex 14-France

Gael Roblin (gaelroblin@bzh.net). 273196-D1/121-42 rue de La sante-75674 Paris cedex 14-France

Jerome Bouthier( jerombotyaer@bzh.net). 304 011 X-cell D1 23-batiment D2-Maison D'arret de Fleury Merogis-7 avenue des peupliers-91705 ste Genevieve des Bois-France

Kristian Georgeault ( kristianjorjaud@bzh.net). 276 024-A 235-Maison d'Arret-42 rue de la sante-75674 Paris cedex 14-France

Pascal Laize (Paskallaize@bzh.net) .274 740-D2/226- 42 rue de la sante 75674 Paris cedex 14- France

Gerard Bernard(gerardbernard@bzh.net) .289 703 V- M114 D4-Maison d'arret de Fleury Merogis- 7 avenue des peupliers-91705 Ste Genevieve des bois-France

SKOAZELL VREIZH is the support committee for the families of the prisoners held for their political beliefs and involvement in all actions of resistance against the French government policy of integration and repression towards Britanny. We work on their behalf, providing legal and financial support to the prisoners as well as practical help for their loved ones, financially and psychologically. We carry out all administrative tasks the families require and are actively involved in petitioning, campaining and mobilising support for their rights and legitimate demands as political prisoners:

  1. To be held together in one single jail, closer to home in Britanny
  2. The right to hold meetings
  3. The right to engage in activities specific to their political work
  4. The right to communication without restriction
  5. The right to information and communication in their language, the Breton language
  6. Better and more appropriate accommodation for the families visiting the prisoners in jail

Thank you for yor support.

Yours sincerely

On behalf of the Committee

Lilianne Le Gac

Please contact our committee for any further information at: SKOAZELL VREIZH, 3 rue Aristide Briant, 44350 Guerande, Bretagne via France

Tel: (0033) 2 40 42 92 94

More information is also available online at:

SKOAZELL VREIZH: http://www.skoazell-vreizh.org

CARB: http://www.prizonidi.org

COLLECTIF DES FEMMES: http://collectifdefemmes.free.fr

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