SOHA.ES AGM review

Many thanks to everyone who came to SOHA.ES’s Annual General Meeting in January. The meeting was very well attended and a packed Camping Bar listened to our strategy for 2013. Also thanks to the many people who could not attend but sent in their support for our proposals by email. In the event the strategy was carried unanimously.

The strategy, as we discussed is was to ensure that all owners of irregular or potentially illegal homes reserved their right to sue the Ayuntamientos at some date in the future. This plan is now being put into action during February by SOHA.ES’s lawyers.

At the meeting we were very lucky to be addressed by Maura Hillen, the President of our sister organisation AUAN, Abusos Urbanisticos Almanzora No! Her presentation was engrossing covering the catalogue of disasters that beset the unlucky residents of the Almanzora valley. However, of particular interest was her discussion on their current case going to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

SOHA.ES members have, on a number of occasions, urged us to take a case to the ECHR, but Maura elegantly outlined why this is a huge mountain to climb. Firstly, in order to qualify, we must demonstrate that we have exhausted all the local channels for justice. No easy feat when a case takes as long to hear as it does in Spain.

The other, and frankly more challenging obstacle, is the money. Maura told us a single case might cost as much as 250,000€! The ECHR is important and it would be embarrassing for the Junta to lose a case here and hopefully one case would be enough to shift attitudes in Spain. AUAN have identified a suitable candidate and have started proceedings. SOHA.ES have pledged to support this case financially but the extent we can help will be limited to how much money we can raise.

SOHA.ES are looking for someone to be in charge of fund raising. If you think you can help then send an email to Philip at president@soha.es.

We work towards a successful 2013.

Photos of the evening can be seen here.