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Twelve Catalan separatist leaders could see up to 25 years in prison when they were found guilty of rebellion and other offenses related to an unsuccessful attempt to proclaim an independent state in 2017. Some Hundreds of thousands of people protested Saturday in Barcelona against the lawsuit that was the subject of criticism being a political spectacle.
The trial in the Spanish Supreme Court is expected to last three months and more than 500 witnesses, including former Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, have been called to testify.
In 2017, Madrid tried to prevent Catalonia from holding its referendum on independence, first by declaring the vote unconstitutional and then by resorting to the national police to crack down on voters. Ninety percent of voters supported secession and the Catalan Parliament then proclaimed its independence, further exacerbating the country's most serious political crisis since Spain's transition to democracy in the 1970s.
Madrid argues that any legal vote in favor of secession would force Parliament to change the country's constitution. Adding to political instability, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez dissolved parliament last week and called for early elections on April 28. The question of Catalonia should allow to elect more far-right and anti-secession politicians.
In this episode we will learn more about the lawsuit and the impact of Catalonia's independence movement on Spain.
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