Spain’s Supreme Court has recently sentenced 13 Catalan separatist leaders, who took part in the events that led to the Catalan independence referendum and the following declaration in October 2017.
In particular, Oriol Junqueras, the former vice-president of Catalonia, was sentenced to 13 years in jail, while three of the thirteen leaders sentenced received a fine, but will not serve any prison time. These politicians and activists have officially been condemned for disobedience to the central government, which firmly opposed the events in October 2017.
The Spanish Court has also issued a new European arrest warrant for former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont, who has been living in Belgium since 2017. Puigdemont has strongly condemned the Court’s ruling via Twitter, calling it “an atrocity”, and invited Catalans to react: “Now more than ever… it is time to react like never before. For the future of our sons and daughters. For democracy. For Europe. For Catalonia”.
Many Catalan supporters have already responded to the call of the former president, with several protests, which have blocked roads and metro stations in Barcelona. In response, the Spanish government has deployed anti-riot police officers, above all, at the entrance to Barcelona’s El Prat airport, aiming to prevent protesters from disrupting air traffic.
These protests are taking place in the lead up to November 10, when new national elections will be held. It will be Spain’s fourth election in four years, highlighting the crisis that Spanish institutions are living in nowadays.
#Peace.Love.Spain
