Vicious Sentences Handed Down By Spanish State.

The courts of the Spanish state today handed down horribly repressive sentences against the leaders of the Catalan pro-independence movement for the ‘crime’ of organising a democratic vote.

The prosecution had sought up to 25 years in prison for Oriol Junqueras, the former vice-president of Catalonia and the highest-ranking pro-independence leader on trial.

Junqueras was handed the longest sentence of 13 years for sedition and misuse of public funds.

Others to receive prison sentences for sedition were:

  • Dolors Bassa, former Catalan labour minister (12 years)
  • Jordi Turull, former Catalan government spokesman (12 years)
  • Raül Romeva, former Catalan external relations minister (12 years)
  • Carme Forcadell, ex-speaker of the Catalan parliament (11.5 years)
  • Joaquim Forn, former Catalan interior minister (10.5 years)
  • Josep Rull, former Catalan territorial minister (10.5 years)
  • Jordi Sànchez, activist and ex-president of the Catalan National Assembly (9 years)
  • Jordi Cuixart, president of Catalan language and culture organisation Òmnium Cultural (9 years)

These sentences show the contempt of the Spanish state for the democratic rights of the Catalan people and its willingness to resort to brutal repression in order to deny them their right to self determination. They are evidence of the fact that the legacy of Francoist fascism is alive and well in that state. It is also clear that the EU leaders are complicit in this – they back the Spanish state against the rights of the Catalan people.

It is to be expected and hoped that the Catalan people and their allies will respond to this latest outrage with mass resistance. People Before Profit stands in solidarity with that resistance. VISCA CATALONIA!