On June 6, the Spanish state delivered another prove for its understanding of freedom of opinion and organization. Jorge García Vidal and Israel Clemente López, 2 fighters of the armed organization GRAPO (Antifascist Resistance Groups October 1) and four fighters of the political party PCE(r) were arrested in different operations in Barcelona.
The four militants of the PCE(r) are known figures due to their long struggle alongside with the working class who had spent many years in prison, partially because of their revolutionary engagement. Francisco Cela Seoane, born in 1958, spent 22 years of his life in Spanish prisons because of his political attitude. Among the arrested is also Manuel Ramón Arango Riego, political fighter of the PCE(r), and the former prisoner Isabel Aparicio Sánchez. Lucio García Blanco, the fourth person arrested spent 13 years of his life in prison, six of them only for the reason of felling a stone pine at a workers` strike.
These four revolutionaries are now tried to become related with the armed struggle through a conspiracy of the Spanish police, the judges and the state. The aim is to imprison them again, although there is no evidence for the claim.
It is known that GRAPO and PCE(r) are totally independent organizations with different ideological stances. But still, with a conspiracy it is tried to put political work and armed struggle on the same level.
Several witnesses reported that at least one of the arrested had been tortured.
Neither in Spain nor in Turkey will the conspiracies hinder us from continuing with our struggle as communists.
We condemn the terror of the Spanish state and demand the immediate punishment of the torturers!
We strongly condemn the oppression against the resistance fighters and communists and demand their immediate release!