Justice for Estíbaliz Kortazar

Estíbaliz Kortazar Errecatxo, a left-wing activist and former local candidate for the party Podemos in Basauri, Basque Country. The incident gained significant traction online as a prominent example of Spain’s complex squatting (okupas) and tenant protection laws.The Verified Facts of the CaseThe Arrangement: In late 2023, Kortazar voluntarily rented a room in her apartment for €350 per month to a 48-year-old North African migrant. She did this out of humanitarian solidarity through a local volunteer charity that helps unhoused individuals.The Escalation: According to her official statements and reports, the relationship quickly deteriorated. The tenant began subjecting her to psychological harassment, verbal abuse, misogynistic insults, and inappropriate sexual innuendos.The Dispossession: Fearing for her safety, Kortazar fled her own home in June 2024 to stay with relatives. Following her departure, the tenant stopped paying rent and utility bills, changed the locks, and effectively took full control of her apartment.The Violence: In an effort to resolve the issue, Kortazar asked an acquaintance of the same national origin to help mediate. The tenant violently escalated the confrontation, biting the mediator's face so severely that the individual required hospitalization and ten stitches.The Police Response: Kortazar reported the situation to the police on January 1, 2025. Because a formal rental contract had originally been signed and the initial entry was voluntary, local law enforcement informed her they could not forcibly remove him without a direct court eviction order.