Segi (organization)
Segi is a Basque pro-independence and revolutionary left-wing organization. It forms part of the Basque National Liberation Movement and is aligned with Langile Abertzaleen Batzordeak and Batasuna.
Segi is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by both the Spanish and French authorities as well as the European Union as a whole.
In its decision, on 27 February 2007, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Justice dismissed the appeal of the illegal Basque organisation "Gestoras Pro Amnistia" and Segi members against their dismissal by the European Council with claims for damages suffered as a result of inclusion in the "terrorist list". The UK intervened with Spain – it was the only other EU state to do so, as a symbol of the support of the rest of the European Council.
Background
In 2002 Segi was classed as a "terrorist" organization by the Spanish National Court magistrate Judge Baltasar Garzón, thus banning it as a component of ETA.Garzón had previously banned the two other Basque youth organizations that preceded Segi: Jarrai and Haika.
Spanish and other European courts have banned a number of ETA-related organizations such as newspapers – Egin, Egunkaria ; youth organisations – Jarrai, Haika, Segi ; prisoner associations – Askatasuna and Gestoras Pro-Amnistia and political parties such as Herri Batasuna and its successor Batasuna. All those decisions have been based on the alleged direct coordination of such organisations with ETA.
According to An Phoblacht the case descended into a farce when another judge in the Spanish National Court considered that Garzón’s arguments "were not valid" and released all the detainees. However, another report suggests that the Supreme Court ruled they were a terrorist organization, but had not been placed on the country's terrorist list before the court's January 19 ruling.