Tasio Erkizia

Tasio Erkizia Almandoz (1943) is a Basque (Spanish) politician, historic member of the left-wing nationalist and pro-independence Basque Party.

Tasio Erkizia was born in the Navarran town of Lesaka . He entered the Salesian order and became an ordained priest. He also graduated in psychology.  Based in Bilbao , from 1971 he taught in the neighborhood of Santutxu .

Shortly before the death of Franco, May 8, 1975, Tasio Erkizia was arrested during the state of emergency and was tortured at the police station. In addition to punches, he suffered an attempted rape. Due to injuries, he was hospitalized for two months.

He participated in the founding of the coalition Herri Batasuna (HB) in 1978. In 1979 he formed part of the candidature HB to the town of Bilbao, being chosen councilman and occupying the post of deputy mayor during the 1979-1983 legislature. In 1984 he was elected deputy in the Basque Parliament, remaining in the chamber until 1998, but did not participate in parliamentary activity, since HB boycotted the Basque legislature.

In February 1997 he was imprisoned along with 22 other members of the board of HB, accused of collaborating with armed groups, having given a free electoral space HB to broadcast a video of the terrorist organization Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA). The Supreme Court condemned him to seven years in prison, but in July 1999 he was released.