Josu Urrutikoetxea’s life is in danger. The exceptional health situation caused by Covid-19 clearly makes it incompatible to keep in detention elderly people or people with pathologies that make them very vulnerable to the virus. All those who are familiar with the situation in prisons agree that overcrowding and conditions of promiscuity during detention make it impossible to deal effectively with the pandemic and to contain contamination in prisons.
Josu Urrutikoetxea belongs to the double category of people made vulnerable to infection because of his age (70 years) and his very precarious state of health. As early as 26 March, the head doctor of the Prison de la Santé in Paris, where many cases have been found to be positive (among both guards and inmates), issued an alert and stressed that Josu Urrutikoetxea presents “chronic pathologies which are factors of poor prognosis in case of contamination“at Covid-19 and recommended”to suspend his incarceration“.
Thus, one should not accept that Josu Urrutiko and xea suffer in prison, like others, from a health risk that is now known to be fatal. All the more so as the objectives of guarantees of legal representation can easily be achieved by placing him under judicial supervision. The Paris Court of Appeal had recognized on 19 June that Josu had fulfilled all the necessary conditions of guarantee and probity, before the public prosecutor’s office put him back in prison in what suddenly appeared to be a judicial coup.
It should be remembered that, by participating in the peace negotiations under the aegis of the United Nations and the Swiss and Norwegian states, Josu Urrutikoetxea has shown responsibility in promoting and leading the debates and bringing about an effective end to the violence in the Basque Country , the disarmament and then the dissolution of ETA. Without his firm commitment, recognized by all the international institutions and actors involved in conflict resolution, and without the commitment of others like him, it would have been impossible to achieve these substantial and salutary changes in practice.
Beyond the basic rules of the diplomatic protectorate towards negotiators, the criminalization of those who have actively contributed to the transformation of a conflict to its end is both ethically problematic and strategically counterproductive. Keeping him in detention despite the particular danger to which Josu Urrutikoetxea is exposed is, moreover, a very bad signal sent by the French state to all the peace processes under way in the world that the international community cannot tolerate.
With this appeal, we call on the judicial authorities to suspend the incarceration of Josu Urrutikoetxea and to act with the utmost diligence so that he is not further exposed to the risk of dying in detention. As in the case of Josu Urrutikoetxea, all detainees who are extremely vulnerable at Covid-19 due to their state of health and / or age, and who do not represent any danger to society, should also benefit from this suspension of incarceration.
The 143 signatories
International personalities involved in the peace process:
Gerry Adams, historic leader of Sinn Féin (Northern Ireland), committed to the resolution of the conflict in the Basque Country;
Andy Carl, practitioner and expert in conflict resolution, co-founder and executive director of the British NGO Conciliation Resources, London, United Kingdom;
Noam Chomsky, Professor Emeritus of Linguistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Laureate Professor in the Department of Linguistics at the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of Arizona, US, member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, of the American National Academy of sciences, the American Philosophical Society, and the Academia Europaea, Gold Medal of Philology, double winner of the Orwell Prize, Peace Prize Dorothy Eldridge and Séan MacBride Peace Prize awarded by the International Peace Bureau;
Brian Currin, South African human rights lawyer, conflict resolution expert and founder of the International Contact Group for the Basque Country (GIC);
Véronique Dudouet, research director and expert in conflict resolution at the Berghof foundation, Berlin, Germany;
Suresh Grover, director of The Monitoring Group, United Kingdom;
Bernard E. Harcourt, lawyer, specialized in the defense of death row inmates and long sentences in the United States, engaged in public legal actions pro bono on human rights issues, jurist and philosopher, Isidor and Seville Sulzbacher professor of law and professor of political science at Columbia University, New York, where he directs the Center for Contemporary Critical Thought, and director of studies at the School advanced studies in social sciences;
Ronnie Kasrils, member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the African National Congress (ANC) from 1987 to 2007 and from 2004 to 2008 Minister of Intelligence Services of the Republic of South Africa;
Raymond Kendall, senior officer in the Special Branch of Scotland Yard, secretary general from 1985 to 2000 of theInternational Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) and member of the International Contact Group for the Basque Country (GIC);
Mandla Langa, writer and journalist, ANC cultural delegate, columnist for the Sunday Independent and the New nation, he is the first South African to receive the scholarship from the Arts Council of Great Britain, a silver medal for all of his work by the order of Ikhamanga for the advent of democracy in South Africa;
Alberto Spektorowski, politist, Department of political Science, Tel Aviv university, Israel, advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Israel at the Camp David summit and member of the International Contact Group for the Basque Country (GIC).
Magistrates, lawyers and jurists:
Estellia Araez, lawyer at the Bordeaux bar, president of the Syndicat des Avocats de France;
Jean-François Blanco, lawyer at the Pau bar, former Bâtonnier and Nouvelle-Aquitaine regional advisor;
Sophie Bussière, lawyer at the Bayonne bar and Federal Councilor of EELV;
Céline Curt, lawyer at the Seine Saint Denis bar and member of the SAF;
Jean-Pierre Dubois, jurist and professor of public law at the University of Paris XI;
Eva Joly, magistrate, from 2009 to 2019 MEP;
Pierre Joxe, honorary magistrate, between 1981 and 1993 Minister of Industry, Minister of the Interior then Minister of Defense, Member of Parliament for Saône-et-Loire from 1986 to 1988, first president of the Court of Accounts from 1993 to 2001 and from 2001 to 2010 member of the Constitutional Council;
Claude Katz, lawyer at the Paris bar and secretary general from 1992 to 2004 of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH);
Géraud de La Pradelle, international jurist, emeritus professor at Paris-X Nanterre University, chairman of the Citizen Inquiry Commission on France’s involvement in Rwanda;
Pierre Lyon-Caen, magistrate, honorary advocate general at the Court of Cassation, member of the National Consultative Commission for Human Rights, member of the committee of experts for the application of ILO conventions and founding member of the Magistrates’ Union;
Rafaëlle House, specialist in international law, professor at Paris-Saclay University;
Caroline Mécary, lawyer at the bars of Paris and Quebec, former member of the Council of the Order, counselor of Paris;
Jean-Pierre Massias, Professor of Law, specialist in transitional justice;
Serge Portelli, honorary magistrate and lawyer, expert on behalf of the European Union in matters of victim assistance;
Malik Salemkour, lawyer, president of Human Rights League;
Philippe Texier, magistrate, advisor to the Court of Cassation, judge at the Permanent People’s Court, member of the sponsorship committee of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine and member and president of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights;
Christiane Taubira, Member of Parliament from 1993 to 2012, from 1994 to 1999 Member of the European Parliament and from 2012 to 2016, Keeper of the Seals, Minister of Justice.
Parliamentarians:
Jeans–Félix Acquaviva, deputy of Corsica, member of the Commission for Constitutional Laws, Legislation and General Administration of the Republic ;
Mertxe Aizpurua, MP, member of the Congress of Deputies of Madrid;
Adolfo Araiz, lawyer and parliamentarian, member of the Parliament of the Naval Community of Navarre;
Clementine Autain, MP for Seine-Saint-Denis, member of the Foreign Affairs Committee;
Pernando Barrena, Member of the European Parliament, member of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs;
Esther Benbassa, senator from Paris, member of the Law Commission, vice-president of the Senate Delegation to the overseas territories, Director of Studies at the École Pratique des Hautes Etudes (Sorbonne);
Manuel Bompard, Member of the European Parliament, member of the Industry, Research and Energy Committee and member of the Delegation to the European Union Parliamentary Assembly for the Mediterranean;
Éric Coquerel, member for Seine-Saint-Denis, member of the Committee on Finance, the General Economy and Budgetary Control and coordinator of the Left Party;
David Cormand, MEP, member of the Committee on Budgets and member of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection ;
Pierre Dharréville, MP for Bouches-du-Rhône, member of the Social Affairs Committee ;
Gorka Elejabarrieta, senator, member of the Senate of Madrid;
Maddalen Iriarte, member of parliament, member of the Basque Autonomous Community Parliament;
Pierre Laurent, Senator from Paris, Vice-President of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defense and the Armed Forces and member of the Committee on European Affairs;
Paul Molac, deputy for Morbihan, member of the Commission for Constitutional Laws, Legislation and General Administration of the Republic.
Doctors :
Abraham Behar, honorary doctor of the hospitals of Paris specialized in nuclear medicine, director of the laboratory of radiobiology-micro circulation at the University Paris VI, president of the AMFPGN, former co-president of IPPNW (Nobel Peace Prize 1985 and 2017);
Paul–André Colombani, doctor and deputy from Corsica (Pè a Corsica), member of the Commission for Sustainable Development and Regional Planning;
Christophe Dejours, psychiatrist, psychoanalyst and sociologist, full professor of psychoanalysis-health-work at the National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts, research director at René Descartes Paris V University, scientific director of the Institute for Labor Psychodynamics and President of the Scientific Council of the Jean Laplanche Foundation, Institut de France, Maurice-Bouvet Prize;
Didier Fassin, anthropologist and doctor, professor at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, in the United States, director of studies at the School of Advanced Studies in Social Sciences and holder of the Chair of Public Health at the Collège de France;
José Gomes Temporão, doctor, researcher, executive director of the Instituto Sul-Americano de Governo da Saúde (ISAGS, South American Institute of Government in Health) and former Minister of Health of Brazil;
Pierre Pribat, cardiologist;
Claude Corman, cardiologist and writer.
Philosophers:
Etienne Balibar, philosopher, professor skilled at the University of Paris-Nanterre, affiliate professor in the anthropology department at the University of California at Irvine, visiting professor at the Institute of Literature and Comparative Society at Columbia University, in the United States, and Anniversary Chair in Modern European Philosophy, Kingston University London, United Kingdom;
Judith Butler, philosopher, professor and holder of the Maxine Elliott Chair in the departments of rhetoric and comparative literature at Berkeley University, United States, and at the European Graduate School in Saas-Fee, Switzerland, doctor honoris causa from the universities of Bordeaux, McGill University, University of St. Andrews, University of Friborg, University of Liège and the University of Belgrade, member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and Theodor W. Adorno Prize;
Geneviève Fraisse, philosopher, director of research emeritus at CNRS, participated in the creation of the International College of Philosophy (CIPH) and doctor honoris causa from the University of Chile;
Federica Giardini, philosopher, professor of political philosophy at the Università degli Studi di Roma Tre, Italia, director of the Master Studi e politiche di genere, co-founder of the Master Studi del territorio – Environmental Humanities, member of the management committee of IAPh, International Association of Women Philosophers;
Axel honneth, philosopher and sociologist, professor of social philosophy and director of the Frankfurt School, Institute for Social Research in Frankfurt am Main in Germany, and Jack C. Weinstein professor of humanities, Department of Philosophy, Columbia University, United States, doctor honoris causa from Bordeaux Montaigne University and Prix Ernst-Bloch;
Chantal Jaquet, philosopher, professor at Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University, coordinates and hosts the international research seminar on Spinoza, director of the Center for the History of Modern Philosophies at the Sorbonne and founder of the journal of the doctoral school of philosophy of Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University Philonsorbonne ;
Sandro Mezzadra, philosopher, Professor of Political Philosophy, Department of the Arts, Alma Mater Studiorum, Bologna University, Italy;
Marie-José Mondzain, philosopher, research director skilled to the Group of political and moral sociology, EHESS and CNRS, officer of the order of Arts and Letters;
Jean-Luc Nancy, philosopher, professor emeritus at the University of Human Sciences in Strasbourg, Albertus-Magnus Prize;
Toni Negri, philosopher, he taught at the University of Padua, of which he directed the Institute of Political Sciences, at the École normale supérieure in the rue d’Ulm, at the University of Paris VII and at that of Paris VIII, at the International College of philosophy and at the European University of Philosophy ;
Jacques Rancière, philosopher, professor emeritus at the University of Paris VIII (Saint-Denis), commander of the order of Arts and Letters;
Bernard Stiegler, philosopher, founder and think tank Ars industrialis, president of the Research and Innovation Institute, officer of the order of Arts and Letters ;
Slavoj Žižek, philosopher, researcher at the Institute of Sociology of the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, and visiting professor at Columbia University, Princeton University, New School for Social Research, New York University and Michigan University, in the United States, medal of gold of the Círculo de Bellas Artes and Ambassador of Sciences of the Republic of Slovenia.
Researchers and academics in social sciences and mathematics:
Geneviève Azam, economist, lecturer in economics and researcher at Toulouse-Jean-Jaurès University, member of the Scientific Council of Attac;
Sophie Béroud, political scientist, professor of political science at Lyon 2 University;
Laurent Bonelli, sociologist, lecturer in political science at Paris X Nanterre University, attached to the Institute of Social Sciences of Politics, co-editor-in-chief of the journal Cultures & Conflicts, associate editor of the International magazine Political Sociology, Oxford University Press and expert to the Council of Europe;
Christophe Charle, historian, professor emeritus of contemporary history at the Panthéon-Sorbonne University, senior member of the Institut universitaire de France, chair of comparative history of Western European societies, headed the Institute of Modern and Contemporary History , member of the sponsoring committee of the French Coordination for the Decade of the Culture of Peace and Non-Violence and president of the Association for reflection on higher education and research (ARESER), CNRS silver medal and knight the National Order of Merit;
Philippe Corcuff, political scientist, lecturer at Sciences Po Lyon;
Thomas Coutrot, economist and statistician, head of the “working conditions and health” department in the Directorate of Research Animation, Studies and Statistics in the Ministry of Labor and Employment, member of its scientific council of ATTAC;
Xavier Crettiez, political scientist, professor at Sciences Po, member of the Commission of jurists and academics for the peace process in the Basque Country ;
Keith Dixon, political scientist, honorary professor of British civilization at Lumière-Lyon II University, member of the Raisons d’Agir collective and director of the Scottish Library of Métailié publications;
Bastien François, political scientist, professor and director of the political science department of the University of Paris 1, Panthéon Sorbonne, chairman of the supervisory board of the Fondation de l’Écologie politique;
Bernard Friot, economist and sociologist, professor emeritus at Paris-Nanterre University (Paris X), founder of the European Institute of Wages (IES);
David Garibay, professor of political science and director of the UFR of Anthropology, Sociology and Political Science of the University Lumière Lyon-2;
Jérôme Gleizes, economist at Sorbonne Paris Nord University and advisor to Paris (EELV);
Jean-Marie Harribey, economist, University of Bordeaux;
Frédéric Jaëck, mathematician at the École normale supérieure in Ulm, host of the international Grothendieck seminar;
Annie Lacroix-Rice, historian, researcher and professor emeritus of contemporary history, Paris 7 University;
Bernard Lahire, sociologist, professor at the ENS de Lyon, senior member of the Institut Universitaire de France, doctor honoris causa from Veracruzana University, Mexico, CNRS silver medal, knight of the Legion of Honor and knight in the order of Arts and Letters;
Frédéric Lebaron, sociologist, professor and director of the social sciences department at the École normale supérieure Paris-Saclay (ENS Cachan), he also teaches at Sciences Po Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Sorbonne University and Sciences Po Aix;
Lena Lavinas, economist, member of the School of Social Sciences at the Princeton Institute for Advanced Study, United States, and professor of Welfare Economics at the Institute of Economics at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil;
Michael Löwy, sociologist and philosopher, emeritus research director at CNRS and teaches at the École des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, CNRS silver medal;
Gustave Massiah, economist, member of the International Council of the World Social Forum;
Christophe Mileschi, Italianist, university professor, writer and translator;
Willy Pelletier, sociologist, teacher at the University of Picardy, general coordinator of the Copernic Foundation;
Michel Pigenet, historian, professor emeritus of contemporary history at the University of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, researcher at the Center for Social History of Contemporary Worlds, founding member of the French Association for the History of the Worlds of Work;
Gianfranco Rebucini, anthropologist (CNRS);
Jean-Marc Schiappa, historian;
Yves Sintomer, professor of political science and member of the board of the University of Paris 8, researcher at the Center for Sociological and Political Research in Paris, member of the Institut universitaire de France and Associate Member, Nuffield college, University of Oxford, United Kingdom;
Ann Laura Stoler, anthropologist and historian, Willy Brandt Distinguished University professor at the New School for Social Research, New York, USA;
Göran Therborn, sociologist, professor emeritus at the University of Cambridge, UK, and affiliate professor at the University of Linnaeus, Sweden;
Enzo Traverso, historian, professor at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA;
Aurélie Found, economist, lecturer at AgroParisTech and spokesperson for Attac;
Sophie Wahnich, historian, research director at CNRS, director of the Interdisciplinary Institute for Contemporary Anthropology and member of the social science school Institute for Advanced Study of Princeton, United States.
Personalities of Arts and Letters:
Pierre Bergounioux, writer, sculptor and professor of letters, Grand Prize for Literature of the Société des Gens de Lettres for all of the work, Roger-Caillois Prize for all of his work and officer in the Order of Arts and Letters;
Thomas Bidegain, screenwriter and director, Prix Lumières, two Golden Stars of French cinema and two Césars;
Sorj Chalandon, author, Albert-London Prize, Medici, Grand Prize for the novel of the French Academy and Goncourt Prize for high school students;
Marie Darrieussecq, author, Medici Prize;
Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, directors and producers, Bologna-Lemaire du Wallon Prize, David di Donatello, LUX, Robert-Bresson, Sydney Film Prize, Lumières Prize, two Joseph-Plateau Prizes, four André-Cavens Prizes and one grand prize at the Cannes Film Festival and two Palms of gold, honoris causa doctorate, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven and commanders of the Walloon Merit;
Emilie Deleuze, director, FIPRESCI award, Crystal Bear and Young Audience Award;
Annie Ernaux, writer and professor of letters, Renaudot Prize, Marguerite-Duras, François-Mauriac, Ernest Hemingway, Gregor von Rezzori, Formentor, European Strega and for all of his work Marguerite Yourcenar Prize, Berlin Academy Prize and Prize of the French language, doctor honoris causa the University of Cergy-Pontoise;
Amina frense, journalist, head of service at the South African Broadcasting Cooperation;
Jean-Michel Frodon, film critic and historian, former director of Cinema Notebooks, associate professor at Sciences-Po Paris, member of the pedagogical committee of SPEAP, Honorary Professor, University of Saint Andrews (Scotland), René-Clair Prize ;
François Gèze, publisher, former president and managing director of La Découverte editions;
Robert Guédiguian, director and producer, Georges-Sadoul Prize, FIPRESCI, LUX and Louis-Delluc, and for all of his work Prix Sergio Amidei, Henri-Langlois and René-Clair, Knight of the Legion of Honor, officer of the National Order of Merit and of Arts and Letters;
James Kelman, Scottish writer, James Tait Black Memorial Prize and Booker Prize;
Thomas Lacoste, director, founder of the critical thinking journal The Ordinary Passer, editions of Le Passant, of the festival Les Rencontres Internationales de l’Ordinaire [cinémas, littératures et sciences humaines] and founder and leader of La Bande Passante, an international network of critical thinking, alternative practices and contemporary creations ;
Didier Lestrade, writer and journalist, co-founder of Act Up-Paris and the magazine Stubborn ;
Ken Loach, director, doctor honoris causa of letters from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom, and the Free University of Brussels, Belgium, and Honorary Doctor of Civil Law from the University of Oxford, United Kingdom, Robert-Bresson and Golden Bear of Honor awards, double César winner for best film, Lumière award and European Lifetime Achievement Award, seven awards at the Cannes festival including three jury prizes and two Palmes d’or;
Patricia Mazuy, director and screenwriter, Prize for Creation Aid from the Gan Foundation, audience at the Premiers Plans Festival in Angers, Bronze Leopard, Youth Prize from the Cannes Film Festival and Jean Vigo Prize;
Philip McLaren, Australian author and academic, professor at the School of Law and Justice at Southern Cross University, Australia, Recits from elsewhere awards and The David Unaipon Award;
Jean-Paul Michel, poet, essayist, literary critic and editor, founder and literary director of William Blake and Co editions;
Yolande Moreau, actress and director, Louis-Delluc Prize, Lumière Prize, Golden Stars of French cinema, Magritte du cinema, Los Angeles Film Critics Award, National Society of Film Critics, César award for best first film and two Césars award for best actress, officer the Order of the Crown of the Kingdom of Belgium;
Bernard noël, poet, essayist and art critic, Antonin-Artaud Prize, Guillaume-Apollinaire, France Culture, and for all of his work Grand Prize for Poetry of the SGDL, Grand National Prize for Poetry, Robert-Ganzo Prize, the Gabriele d’Annunzio International Poetry Prize and the Grand Prize for Poetry of the French Academy;
Rithy Panh, director, Albert-London Prize, Grand Prize for Documentary at the Amiens Festival, FIFDH, FIPA d’or, France Culture Cinema Prize, Golden Gate Award, Lumières Prize, Preservation and Scholarship Award, François Chalais Prize, double winner of European cinema and for all of his work the Scam Prize, doctor honoris causa of the University of Paris-VIII;
Nathalie Quintane, poet, writer and teacher, price of Zorba ;
Gillian Slovo, South African novelist and playwright, Golden PEN Award and former president of English PEN;
Michel Surya, writer and editor, founder and director of the journal Lines and Line Editions;
Dominique Vidal, journalist and essayist, former deputy editor-in-chief, then responsible for international publishing and development at Diplomatic World, co-director of the annual publication State of the world, International Director of the Journalists Training and Development Center and President of the European Journalism Training Association.
Members of civil society:
Julien Bayou, national secretary of EELV and regional councilor of Île-de-France;
Olivier Besancenot, spokesperson for the NPA;
Martine Billard, MP for Paris from 2002 to 2012 and from 2010 to 2014 co-chair of the Left Party;
Frédéric Bodin, national secretary Union Syndicale Solidaires;
José Bové, co-founder of the Confédération paysanne and from 2009 to 2019 MEP;
Alain Coulombel, national spokesperson for Europe Ecology The Greens;
Annick Coupé, spokesperson for the Union Syndicale Solidaires from 2001 to 2014 and general secretary of ATTAC;
Bernard Dreano, president of the Center for International Solidarity Studies and Initiatives (CEDETIM), president of the European Citizens’ Assembly (HCA-France) and co-president of the international Helsinki Citizens ’Assembly network;
André Fadda, trade unionist;
Jacques Gaillot, bishop of Partenia;
Susan George, French-American writer and political scientist, honorary president of ATTAC;
Jean-Albert Guidou, trade unionist;
Pierre Khalfa, economist, former member of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council, co-president of the Copernic Foundation and member of the Scientific Council of Attac;
Abdessalam Kleiche, responsible for the EELV Transnational Commission;
Gilles Lemaire, alterglobalist ecologist;
Christmas mother, environmental activist and from 1997 to 2017 deputy;
Myriam martin, Occitanie regional advisor (Ensemble! & FI);
Gabriel Mouesca, president of the International Prisons Observatory from 2004 to 2009 and co-president of the Human Rights Committee of the Basque Country;
Arnaldo Otegi, spokesperson for Euskal Herria Bildu, coalition of the Abertzale left in the South Basque Country) ;
Philippe Poutou, spokesperson for the NPA;
Eva Sas, national spokesperson for EELV, MP from 2012 to 2017;
Claude Szatan, co-host of the Center for International Solidarity Studies and Initiatives;
Guy tressalet, trade unionist, regional office FSU Île de France.
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