Spain’s Political Dictatorship
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org – Home – Stephen Lendman)
The Monday arrests of key Catalan separatist activists Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Cuixart made world headlines, sparking widespread outrage.
Catalan President Puigdemont tweeted: “Spain jails Catalonia’s civil society leaders for organizing peaceful demonstrations. Sadly, we have political prisoners again.”
Catalan parliament president Carme Forcadell called the arrests an “atrocity,” adding “dialogue means prison without bail” on sedition charges, a serious offense if convicted.
Barcelona Maor Ada Colau said Madrid’s action is a “barbarity…a big mistake,” making dialogue harder.
The Catalan National Assembly political organization released a statement from its president Jordi Sanchez, saying:
“What this act does is try to frighten us, to punish us, for defending freedom and for having taken to the streets as peacefully as we have been doing for such a long time.”
“They cannot bring us to our knees if we stay strong.” He called for street protests to condemn his imprisonment, along with Jordi Cuixart, stressing street actions should show “unity, civic behavior and collective self-confidence.”
Pro-independence Omnium Cultural president Jordi Cuixart recorded a video, asking Catalans to be “serene and aware of the importance of the historic moment that we are currently living.”
He urged independence supporters to “continue working in an organized way,” stressing: “Don’t ever lose faith. Today we have had another piece of evidence that the state repression has no limits.”
Spain’s High Court is a tool of the fascist Mariano Rajoy regime. On Tuesday, it ruled against the universal right of self-determination, acting extrajudicially, annulling the Law on the Referendum on Self-Determination of Catalonia. It states:
“This Law governs the holding of a binding self-determination referendum on the independence of Catalonia, the consequences depending on the result, and the creation of the Electoral Commission of Catalonia.”
Catalan’s parliament passed it on September 6 – 72 pro-independence ruling coalition MPs in favor. Ten opposition party members abstained. Fifty-two others left the chamber without voting.
Catalan government spokesman Jordi Turull called the High Court ruling “fast, another episode of democratic disgrace,” stressing “the mandate of the referendum continues.”
Separately, Turull tweeted: “Two innocent people have been put in jail by an incompetent tribunal for an inexistent crime.”
Fascist Madrid wants Catalans denied their right of self-determination, affirmed in the UN Charter and other international law.
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