Stand With Catalonia

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Human rights defender Jordi Cuixart and 8 Catalan political leaders have been sentenced to a total of 100 years in prison for sedition, a crime they did not commit. Cuixart will have to serve a term of 9 years in prison for having exercised fundamental rights like freedom of expression or the right to demonstrate. And the Catalan political leaders will have to serve from 9 to 13 years in prison for having organised a referendum on self-determination in October 2017 in defiance of the Spanish state, in which more than two million  people voted for independence that was dominated by brutal repression by the central state. At the time there was a sudden upsurge of self-organisation in defense of the right to vote, with the result being that  the  pro-independence political parties in the Catalan parliament  unilaterally declaring independence from Spain. In response, the Spanish government invoked Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution which effectively suspended the region’s autonomy.
The desire  for Catalan separatism, has been viewed with suspicion  by some on the left, seeing it as a bourgeois, nationalist, divisive phenomenon, though is generally sympathetic to the right of self-determination.It is a very complicated issue but there has been a growing clamour in the past decade for independence from those Catalans who believe their wealthy region, has a moral, cultural and political right to self- determination, and that  has long put more into Spain economically than it has received in return. Calls for independence grew as Spain  endured a painful and protracted economic crisis.
The fact remains whether you support the Catalan call for independence or not  is  largely irrelevent they should at least be given the choice and their right to vote on the matter. and should be supported as they reach their  own decisions and destiny.
 The representative of the Catalonian government to the EU, Meritxell Serret, demanded on Tuesday (15 October) that other political actors, including the European institutions, now intervene to pave the way for a political dialogue between Spain and Catalonia.
 However, the EU commission said on Monday that it fully respects the Spanish Constitutional order, "including decisions of the Spanish judiciary".
"Our position has not changed: this is and remains an internal matter for Spain," said a commission spokeswoman.
However, Irish MEP Matt Carthy (from leftwing GUE/NGL group) rejected that argument and tweeted that the ruling of the Spanish court is "a fundamental betrayal of human rights and democracy".
Many other MEPs stood up for the imprisoned leaders from Catalonia, pledging to bring this debate to the European Parliament (EP).
Scottish MEP Sheila Ritchie (from the liberal Renew group) said on Twitter that "the Spanish government has not handled this issue well".
"I will ask the Spanish government to engage in constructive dialogue to map out a way for Catalonia," she added.
Her compatriot MEP Alyn Smith, president of the European Federal Alliance (EFA) group described the sentences in a statement as "a travesty of justice which will only serve to worsen already difficult relations between Catalonia and Spain".
Some MEPs also supported the possibility of an amnesty for the jailed Catalan politicians.
The leader of the Spanish leftist party Unidas Podemos, Pablo Iglesias, also suggested a pardon of the sentence - a governmental decision used rarely in recent Spanish history.
However, Spain's interior minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, ruled out either pardons and amnesties. While Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez insisted on Monday on full compliance of the sentence with no special privileges - in line with other unionist parties like the liberals Ciudadanos, the People's Party (PP) and the far-right Vox.
The judgment has been widely condemned in Catalonia. “The Catalan government rejects this verdict as unjust and anti-democratic, for being a legal case against pro-independence ideology and Catalonia’s right to self-determination,” said the region’s president, Quim Torra.
 Carles Puigdemont, the exiled former president of Catalonia who remains a fugitive from Spanish authorities,who fled to Belgium to avoid prosecution. described the verdict  on twitter as an “atrocity”, " 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."
 Jordi Sànchez, former Catalan National Assembly president, also stated that preventative imprisonment of the kind he had suffered “is an enormous injustice, not only for me and for the other pro-independence prisoners but in general around Spain."
Jordi Cuixart argued that those who hoped the trial who put an end to the aspirations of the Catalan independence leader would fail, saying: "If police violence couldn't stop thousands of people voting in the referendum, how can anyone think that a sentence will stop Catalans fighting for their right to self-determination?"
"Self-determination is transcendental,” said Joseph Rull, the former Catalan environment minister. “There will always be more people after us. There are not enough prisons to lock up our desire for freedom."
 After and heavy-handed tactics and brutal aggression by the Spanish police saw innocent people hurt in the streets of Barcelona on October 1, 2017, Barca decided to play their league game at home to Las Palmas behind closed doors that day as a protest and the Catalan club released a statement on Monday in support of the jailed leaders.
"FC Barcelona, as one of the leading entities in Catalonia, and in accordance with its historical record, for the defence of freedom of expression and the right to decide, today, after the condemnatory ruling issued by the Supreme Court in relation to the open process against the Catalan civic and political leaders, states that:

"In the same way that the preventive prison sentence didn't help to resolve the conflict, neither will the prison sentence given today, because prison is not the solution. The resolution of the conflict in Catalonia must come exclusively from political dialogue," it said.

FC Barcelona announcement
"Prison is not the solution" pic.twitter.com/o0BWOaThgD

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) October 14, 2019

The Catalan club also called for a "process of dialogue and negotiation" to resolve the conflict.

Proud to be part of this Club. https://t.co/RlkeYsyccS

— Gerard Piqué (@3gerardpique) October 14, 2019

"Now more than ever, the club asks all political leaders to lead a process of dialogue and negotiation to resolve this conflict, which should also allow for the release of convicted civic and political leaders," the statement continued.
"FC Barcelona also expresses all its support and solidarity to the families of those who are deprived of their freedom."
Several players also used their platform to back the jailed leaders. "Proud to be part of this Club," defender Gerard Pique wrote in a tweet which quoted Barca's statement. "All my support and solidarity," Sergi Roberto tweeted, while Xavi posted on Instagram with a list of the imprisoned politicians and the word "shame" – in Catalan, Spanish and English.
Barca's fans unfurled a banner at Camp Nou ahead of their Champions League group game at home to Inter Milan at the beginning of the month which read: "Only dictatorships jail peaceful political leaders."

A banner raised at Camp Nou ahead of Barcelona's Champions League clash against Inter Milan Photo: Getty Images

The Catalans' next match at home is the Clasico clash versus Real Madrid on October 26, for which another demonstration from fans is expected.
This sentence has created a highly worrying precedent for democracy in Europe, as it places in question several basic rights, as pointed out by the UN and Amnesty International. Today human rights are being violated in Spain; tomorrow it could happen in your country. All these political prisoners should be released now. Amnesty avoids using the term “political prisoner” as there is no accepted definition in international law. However, over 1,000 legal experts have signed a manifesto arguing that the Catalan leaders in jail are effectively that.
After the court announced its verdict in the morning, pro-independence demonstrators gathered in Barcelona and other towns and cities throughout the day. It has helped revive the national question in Catalonia,, stoking anger and  mass mobilisations.  Protesters blocked a number of road and rail links across the region and dozens of flights from Barcelona were cancelled in the evening as thousands of demonstrators converged on the city’s airport, many of them clashing with police there.The unrest is expected to continue in the coming days.
In their resistance to the Spanish authorities, Catalans are drawing on a long tradition. Today’s political prisoners, whether accurately labelled or not, are the latest in a long line who have fought against the perceived injustices of the Spanish state. Foremost among these is Lluis Companys, the president of the generalitat who was arrested for declaring the Catalan republic on October 6 1934 and was executed by firing squad on October 15 1940. In 1936, General Francisco Franco began (with the help of Germany) his coup d'état and the Spanish civil war that provoked the suppression of the Catalan nation and its language for many years. The historic parallel is not lost on the Catalan people.
Catalonia is the largest non-state European nation. The Catalans are aware and proud of having a history of more than a thousand years. The splendid Catalan literature and culture is an essential part of Europe. The Catalan language is the mother tongue of millions of Europeans, but supporters of independence argue that their language and culture is not being sufficiently respected  by the Spanish central government  and they worry that if something is not done their culture will be absorbed.,and many Catalans do not want to live in a centralised Spanish state under a monarchy for whom they have little affection.
The right to free, peaceful and democratic self-determination of nations is above the legal limits of a state that wants to impose its legal system on millions of people which feel treated as second-class citizens because they are catalans.. It is a shameful indictment of any democracy that men and woman in a democracy can be tried, convicted and imprisoned for exercising the right to vote, as  is the lack of condemnation by other European governments.
There are some who support the idea of  independence without a state. It's not a majority position, but I consider it a valid one, all radical , alternative, social and political options are welcome, in the meantime though solidarity with the Catalan  political prisoners.The yellow ribbon is the symbol for solidarity with Catalonia’s political prisoners and you will find it scrawled on pavements and hanging from balconies throughout the region in Spain’s north-east corner.This shutdown of democracy should not be accepted and will be resisted by  further mass mobilisations of workers and youth. Nobody should stay silent with this unacceptable verdict. Here is a link to two petitions you could sign to help end this injustice..

https://www.change.org/p/jean-claude-juncker-solidarity-with-catalonia-for-the-right-to-peaceful-self-determination

https://www.omnium.cat/en/signforcatalonia/?fbclid=IwAR3DIMvPxDVKEz5VKly3x0gnmx8EHkrilsEHBzSHF7Nlwafel2bSCr0hF9Y

Jordi Cuixart sentenced to 9 years for exercising fundamental rights.