Independence Trial: Most Important Testimonies April 15, 16, and 17

April 15, Day 31 of Trial 

A Spanish Civil Guard officer affirmed that former speaker and government officials were “key” players in the bid to achieve independence. 

Former Catalan Speaker Carme Forcadell “was an essential figure to pass [independence] laws,” said the officer. Former Catalan police chief Josep Lluís Trapero was also “essential in the independentist strategy,” he added.

The same officer also affirmed that according to their investigations,  Catalan official Josep Maria Jové “was the person who had to authorize the expenses to hold the referendum.”

 

April 16, Day 32 of Trial 

Spanish police officers talked about alleged violence by voters during the 2017 independence referendum. They also accused their Catalan counterparts of inaction. “They didn’t act at all,” said a Spanish police officer.

 

April 17, Day 33 of Trial

Spanish police officers accused their Catalan counterparts of inaction during the 2017 independence referendum. “Whenever they saw us, they reported our arrival to someone and then left,” said a Spanish police officer.

Some officers claimed that their operation to stop the referendum was “exemplary,” and denied the use of violence against the voters.

 

Additional Information

The day 32 of Trial, marked one and a half years since the Catalan political prisoners Jordi Cuixart and Jordi Sànchez were unjustly jailed by the Spanish State.

On the day 33 of trial, Members of Canada’s Research Institute on Self-Determination of Peoples said the Spanish Supreme Court might be infringing defendants’ rights.

Professor of international and constitutional law at the Montreal University, Daniel Turp: “We believe there are issues relating to human rights, to the protection of the right of the accused, and maybe the larger issue of freedom of expression, of association, maybe even the issue of the right of self-determination of the Catalan people.”

 

Turp’s colleague Stéfanie Tougas: “The issue of how they are treated is going to be part of our report, because we don’t understand how they can be so badly treated.”

NOTE: Neither the police nor any court has been able to prove yet the veracity of any of the aforementioned police testimonies in the Independence Trial. Those statements appear rather to be just a mere police/court fabrication aimed at unjustly imprison the Catalan democratic leaders for many years, even decades.