Spain: waiting and worry of a historic sentence

The leaders of the Catalan independence process have not been at the root of the violence of the most critical months of September and October 2017, but they have encouraged tumults to prevent the application of the laws. As reported The countrythere will be no condemnation for "rebellion".

That is the conclusion reached by the Supreme Court, whose decision will be known tomorrow or Tuesday, to convict the nine defendants on remand for sedition. The room presided over by Manuel Marchena also estimates that the six former convicted prisoners have embezzled money from their departments for holding the illegal referendum of 1 October. He therefore sentenced them for embezzlement, according to legal sources.

The combination of the two crimes will lead to the former president of the Generalitat, Oriol Junqueras, to 12 years in prison. And long sentences of disqualification for all convicts.

The sentence includes sentences of sedition for the nine prisoners of "proces": besides Junqueras, the former councilors Jordi Turull, Josep Rull, Joaquim Forn, Raul Romeva and Dolors Bassa; former Speaker of the Parlament Carme Forcadell; and the leaders of the National Assembly of Catalonia (ANC) and Amnium Jordi Sánchez and Jordi Cuixart, respectively.

The defense of Jordi Sánchez, Josep Rull and Jordi Turull showed hours later that she knew what it meant that the sentence would be "utterly astonished" by "an alleged leak towards certain media".

"If the veracity of this information is confirmed," said his lawyers, it would be a flagrant violation of the secrecy of deliberations guaranteed by the Organic Law of the Judiciary (LOPJ), as well as by the law. ;a lack of respect".

According to the Spanish media, the president of the government, Pedro Sánchez, will leave his socialist candidate's trial for a few days for the elections of November 10 and will announce his position tomorrow, while the sentence "trial" should be known in its entirety. They claim that Sanchez will then publish a message from Moncloa and reduce or cancel his party acts according to the evolution of the response in Catalonia.

Journalists contacted the General Manager at the Royal Palace Gala on the occasion of the reception offered by Felipe VI and Letizia on the occasion of the National Day. In his informal contacts with the press, however, Sánchez avoided commenting, saying that he did not know the decision.

There was also Marchena. The president of the court "procés" did not hide his disgust at the escape from punishment. "A sentence is not over until the last magistrate has signed it," he warned.

"I can not say that I am angry because I will confirm the leaks," added the magistrate, who acknowledged that it was impossible to avoid knowing the details of the decision when the sentence should "pass in the hands of 12 people". Tomorrow or Tuesday, he said, the sentence will be known.

Pablo Casado of the People's Party and Albert Rivera of Citizens said they would support Sánchez as soon as the conviction is made public. At the same time, Pablo Iglesias, from Podemos, said that now "it's time to put aside hate speech" and start "talking long-term".

Chronology

The independence movement has experienced rapid growth in Catalan politics and society since 2010, when the Spanish Constitutional Court overturned part of the regional autonomy statute, until reaching the referendum "d & # 39; "self-determination" of 2017.

On October 1 of this year, the illegal "self-determination" referendum convened by the Puigdemont government is organized, while thousands of law enforcement officers attempt to prevent it through a court order. 2.2 million people voted, with 90% of support for independence, according to Catalan authorities.

On the 27th, the Catalan Parliament approves a declaration in favor of the unilateral independence to which the Spanish executive responds by dismissing Puigdemont, who is fleeing abroad.

In November, they began investigating the crimes committed during the independence process and some are temporarily imprisoned. A few days ago, the history of failures is filtered.

Tensions and tributes to President Sánchez

The President participated in the National Day of Spain.

Spanish Socialist President Pedro Sánchez was booed yesterday at the military parade held in central Madrid on October 12, Spain's National Day. Meanwhile, thousands of "trade unionists" demonstrated in Barcelona in an atmosphere of expectation after the condemnation of the leaders of the failed secession process of 2017. "Puigdemont, in prison", "Brexit and Catexit, division and ruin "or" Better Together "were some of the slogans.