The prison concert organised to smuggle escapees out
Prison and music go hand in hand. Whether it be Johnny Cash’s iconic performance at Folsom or the disastrous Sex Pistols set at Chelmsford, there are numerous notable moments from over the years where the two have converged in compelling ways. One of the most fascinating is when a prison concert was used as a cover for a famous political prisoner to escape. The convict in question is Basque writer Joseba Sarrionandia, and it was a show by the celebrated singer Imanol Larzabal that allowed him to make his break for freedom.
Sarrionandia has published many poetry books, novels and short stories and has received several accolades for his efforts. He is one of the most respected literary figures in the Basque country. However, as a younger man, life wasn’t so simple for the author. In the early 1980s, he was a member of the Basque separatist group ETA, the armed nationalist and far-left organisation that sought independence between 1959 and 2018.
The group was founded in 1959 during the Francoist era in Spain and evolved from a pacifist body promoting Basque culture into a violent paramilitary one. It undertook a campaign of assassinations, bombing and kidnapping throughout the nation, with a particular concentration in the southern Basque country against the regime, which was hostile to expressing non-Castillan minority identities.
In 1980, when Sarrionandia was a member of ETA, he was arrested by Spanish Police and sentenced to 22 years in prison. However, on July 7th, 1985, which is San Fermin Day – the celebration of the co-patron saint of Navarre – he escaped from jail alongside fellow ETA member Iñaki Pikabea. They managed to flee as a concert was being held on the premises by celebrated singer Imanol Larzabal. Ingeniously, the men hid themselves inside two loudspeakers.
The plan was hatched alongside theatre critic Mikel Albisu, the man who drove the van carrying them to freedom and the future leader of ETA. For three months, the two escapees and Albisu hid inside an apartment in the city of San Sebastián before moving to France. Since then, Sarrionandia has lived in exile, with his status a prominent theme in his writings. The escape from prison was of such significant that Basque ska punk band Kortatu created the hit song ‘Sarri, Sarri’ in honour of it.
On October 3rd, 2011, Sarrionandia was awarded the Euskadi Prize for ‘Essay in Basque’ for Are We Moors in the Fog? which examined the many nightmares of colonialism. However, the Basque government initially withheld the prize of €18,000 until his political status was resolved, as he was still technically a wanted man, with their qualms centred around giving money to a man connected to terrorism – despite his evident talent.
On that same day, judges and lawyers interviewed by the Cadena SER network confirmed that Sarrionandia could not be prosecuted by Spanish law, as over 20 years had passed since his original sentence and escape. Whilst terrorist acts have no time limit, this provision only applies if at least one victim exists.
Accordingly, after a month and a half, the Spanish High Court confirmed with the Basque government that Sarrionandia was “clean” and had no civil or criminal liability. The prize was then handed to the author’s family. Later, in 2016, it was revealed that he lives in Cuba, where he lectures at the University of Havana. The Carribean city is evidently a haven for writers, as even Leonard Cohen had a stint there.
