Reading the writings of the accusations of the trial in the carpinteria – the prosecutor’s office and the particular accusation – it was conceivable that they would come up with clearer evidence at the trial, since only with this was the accusation of the criminal group very serious. No, after five days of direct trial, it was clear that the prosecutor’s office – not to mention the private prosecution – did not show anything more to demand that each defendant be sentenced to one year in prison for forming a criminal group and 22 months in prison for each defendant for the crime of coercion or violence.

According to what was observed at the trial, what happened in April 2021 at the return of the works of the Carpinteria de Lekaroz? On the one hand, the classic events in the field of civil disobedience, which are basically: putting themselves in front of the machines and obstructing their work, a completely peaceful crusade in the field of works, and the media activity to disseminate them. On the other hand, there were also small sabotages against the machines in those days: closing the locks of the machines with polyurethane foam, a few wheel perforations, painting on the machines, theft of a dumper (which was returned the next day), or inserting nails in the trees to prevent the work of the chainsaws. Perhaps there were also some minor insults and threats, as long as they were not determined by whom, and not with the gravity that the accusation sought to portray. That's it. That's it.

The Office of the Public Prosecutor has constructed such a narrative from these events: “Some carried out peaceful actions – the defendants – and others were violent, but they all belong to the same criminal group, and the goal of all of them is to sink the carpentry project, for which they organize themselves in this group with clear and precise divisions of functions. Here we have seven prosecutions, but there are many more.” On the one hand, the prosecutor did not define the criminal group; on the other hand, one inevitably echoes the era of “Everything is ETA”, that unjust – but effective – strategy that showed the impotent and authoritarian pillars of Spanish democracy. In this sentence we will see how far this echo of opposition to dissent reaches today.

But in the penal code this is not valid, each crime must be associated with specific persons, which has not been committed in this trial. If anything were to be punished, then it would be those little sabotages, but their perpetrators had to be sought and prosecuted for that. The others in the field of civil disobedience would, in any case, be channelled with fines, since they are basically the same as the traffic cuts that occur in various strikes and mobilizations.

As the trial progressed, many in the corridors of the court mentioned that without evidence the defendants could not be punished, but at the end the prosecutor and the accusations have continued with their strong demands and, therefore, the possibility of punishment is on the table. The “witch hunt” was launched by one of the defendants in the courtroom in response to the defense’s questions, and yes, if with what he saw the judge decided to declare the septet a criminal group, it would be like setting fire to the pile of wood to start burning the bodies.

The carpentry project has never had much support in Baztan, but the clemency and clumsiness of its promoters have sharply increased the Baztan opposition; and it could be said that the discomfort of the former political promoter, Geroa Bai, and the Government of Navarre has also become increasingly evident over time.

Going to the bottom of the trial, the Lord of Money also appeared in the room. With a different approach, but both accusations and defenses recognized its importance: “Our clients have invested millions of euros in this project and now it is paralyzed because the threat persists,” the accusation said. “Palacio de Arozteguia SL has to extract from this trial the accusation of the criminal group, yes or yes, in order to obtain compensation of 43 million euros in the administrative litigation that leads against the governments of Navarre and Spain,” the defense replied. The trial is awaiting a verdict.