translated from Spanish: Protest before Spanish embassy in CDMX over ruling to Catalan leaders

Mexico.- About a hundred people with flags from Catalonia protested on Monday before the embassy of Spain in Mexico over the sentence of nine Catalan leaders in prison for the illegal secessionist process of 2017.The demonstrators, who concentrated on the sunset outside the embassy in the residential area of Polanco in the Mexican capital, carried portraits of convicted politicians and banners that had the message “freedom political prisoners” written in Catalan.

During the protest, the demonstrators shouted in Catalan slogans such as “Spain fascist state”, “Political prisoners freedom”, “No is justice is revenge” and also “Franco follows Spain revives it” while singing various chants. During the protest, a person who did not identify himself shouted “separatists” to the demonstrators, who faced him with slogans in favor of Catalonia.The Spanish Supreme Court on Monday imposed sentences of between 9 to 13 years in prison to nine Catalan leaders for the trial illegal secessionist of 2017, a decision that ended a period of political-judicial uncertainty and which can mark the Spanish general election on November 10.

Clashes in Barcelona. Source: AP

The sentence also set minor sentences for three other defendants, who will not have to go into prison, in a 493-page ruling concluding the legal process initiated after the illegal referendum of self-determination of October 1, 2017 and the subsequent statement independence that same month. The seven judges unanimously supported the conviction for sedition and embezzlement of public funds, but ruled out the most serious crime of rebellion. A conviction for rebellion would have involved much larger sentences of up to 25 years in prison, but the judges did not appreciate that the level of violence needed to implement that criminal case occurred.

Original source in Spanish