The 'two Jordis' - Jordi Cuixart, president of Òmnium Cultural and Jordi Sànchez, president of the ANC - have been locked up for more than nine months. They have not yet faced trial, and are unlikely to get a trial until early in 2019.
But why are they in prison? They are accused of violent rebellion, and sedition, along with other crimes. But a recent documentary, from Mediapro in Barcelona, exposes the falsehoods, and hints at a conspiracy by the Spanish Government, all designed to entrap the Jordis.
The critical date is 20th September 2017. Like thousands of others, I was heading to work when I saw on social media that the Spanish militarised police, the Guardia Civil, had entered the Catalan Government's Economy Ministry. Like thousands of others I was horrified that the Spanish government would send its armed police into a Catalan government ministry. And like thousands of others, I headed straight there. The demonstration was, like all of the indy demos here, peaceful, funny, full of music, songs, cheering. The staff in the ministry kept us hydrated by sharing out water bottles from a first floor balcony. The demo grew during the day - I saw old people, young people, office staff in suits and ties and folk who had come from building sites.
But, as the documentary makes clear, the police were drawing us all into a trap. They did so by leaving unguarded guns in their police cars, by claiming that people were forcing their way into the ministry (they were not), by delaying their departure in a futile attempt at angering the crowd, and by threatening to invade the offices of the CUP, one of the pro-independence political parties. They entrapped the Jordis, and then twisted the story and the images to make it appear as though the Jordis were involved in a 'violent' uprising.
Eventually, when these cases get to the European Court of Justice, the nine political prisoners will be released. But by then five, six or more years will have passed (the European Court moves very slowly).
So please, act now. Write to your MP, your MSP, your MEP and to the Spanish Ambassador to demand freedom for the nine political prisoners held by Spain, and liberty for those forced to live in exile.
But why are they in prison? They are accused of violent rebellion, and sedition, along with other crimes. But a recent documentary, from Mediapro in Barcelona, exposes the falsehoods, and hints at a conspiracy by the Spanish Government, all designed to entrap the Jordis.
The critical date is 20th September 2017. Like thousands of others, I was heading to work when I saw on social media that the Spanish militarised police, the Guardia Civil, had entered the Catalan Government's Economy Ministry. Like thousands of others I was horrified that the Spanish government would send its armed police into a Catalan government ministry. And like thousands of others, I headed straight there. The demonstration was, like all of the indy demos here, peaceful, funny, full of music, songs, cheering. The staff in the ministry kept us hydrated by sharing out water bottles from a first floor balcony. The demo grew during the day - I saw old people, young people, office staff in suits and ties and folk who had come from building sites.
But, as the documentary makes clear, the police were drawing us all into a trap. They did so by leaving unguarded guns in their police cars, by claiming that people were forcing their way into the ministry (they were not), by delaying their departure in a futile attempt at angering the crowd, and by threatening to invade the offices of the CUP, one of the pro-independence political parties. They entrapped the Jordis, and then twisted the story and the images to make it appear as though the Jordis were involved in a 'violent' uprising.
Eventually, when these cases get to the European Court of Justice, the nine political prisoners will be released. But by then five, six or more years will have passed (the European Court moves very slowly).
So please, act now. Write to your MP, your MSP, your MEP and to the Spanish Ambassador to demand freedom for the nine political prisoners held by Spain, and liberty for those forced to live in exile.
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