International report concludes that the Spanish repression in Catalonia inspires dictatorships

A report by UNPO concludes that the Spanish repression in Catalonia inspires dictatorships. The 40-page report explains how lawfare and repression in Spain against Catalonia have inspired:

1. Charges of treason in Ghana against West Togoland separatists (intensifying from 2019).
2. The abuse in Algeria of counterterrorism to silence the self-determination of Cabilia (2021).

 3. The use in Pakistan of counterterrorism legislation against minorities (2020). 4. Russia's labeling of Crimean Tatars as extremists and terrorists (2019).
5. The suppresion in Turkey of Kurdish activists. (2020) 

6. The use of spy software in Iran against the Kurdish community.

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The Council for the Republic becomes the Council of the Republic

This Sunday, September 18, an in-person Plenary meeting of the Assembly of Representatives was held in Canet de Rosselló, Northern Catalonia (under French rule). Respecting the established Agenda, the General and Operating Regulations were debated and approved with 93 votes in favor.

Spokesman Pere Cardús spoke on behalf of the report that he has drawn up on the General and Operating Regulations of the Council for the Republic. His intervention has opened the process of debate and amendments. Cardús recalled that the Assembly of Representatives "does not aim to make codes per se but to make an independent State in the form of a Republic". Cardús explained that the Regulation "is a facilitating document, made for understanding and cooperation" and that it will help the Council "to understand us and not to watch over us".

The speaker explained that the Regulation is a text that must also facilitate "a system of understanding between the Government, Local Councils and the Assembly of Representatives" and that it must allow "to draw up a joint strategy for all the bodies of the Council for the Republic ". During the debate on the amendments, the speakers convinced the Government and ended up withdrawing the amendment on the name of the Council. So, the change in the nomenclature of the republican institution has been approved: the Council for the Republic is now called the Council of the Republic. The Government has asked for a special speaking turn to warn that this change will be, in logistical terms, progressive in the coming months.

32 new Local Councils become official once President Puigdemont has given them the Letter of Commitment

The legitimation steps for a Local Council, regulated in the Framework Document for the Impulse of "Local Councils for the Republic", are as follows:

- first, transversal people from a locality/village/district come together and create a driving group 

- afterwards, they are in charge of deploying the Local Council in their local area (networks, territory, local institutions...).

- once the Local Council is present in the locality, an open process is carried out with the citizens and a democratic board is chosen with the tools that the Council makes available to them. 

The local Councils for the Republic that have already signed the "Letter of Commitment" drawn up by the Council for the Republic, which determines, among other issues, the political objectives and purposes of the local Councils and their principles of operation, will receive it signed and in hand by the President of the Council, Carles Puigdemont, at this event.

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We're back: Massive political demonstration for Catalonia's Independence attended by 700,000 people

700,000 people gathered in the annual National Day pro-independence rally in Barcelona, according to the the organizing grassroots organization, ANC.  local police. Thus, the march was joined by 300,000 more people than last year, when the organizers estimated that 400,000 had marched in the streets. According to local police, the figure was 150,000, which is also higher than their calculations in 2021.

Every September 11, the attendance in the demonstration has been one of the key facts to know the level of engagement among Catalans over the independence campaign. The rally in 2014 marks the peak number of attendees, with 1.8 million, according to the local police, which stood for almost a quarter of the total population in the country. Yet, these numbers have been declining especially after the referendum and independence push in October 2017, with the pandemic also playing its role.

The rally began in Paral·lel avenue and ended in the Estació de França station, by the Ciutadella Park, where the Catalan parliament is located. The atmosphere was at all times cheerful and peaceful, with chants of independence, against governing parties, and some attendees supporting exiled president Carles Puigdemont. You can see some pictures of the rally here at the Catalan version of VilaWeb.

Independence or elections

When the event ended, ANC’s president Dolors Feliu demanded “independence or elections” to the two parties in cabinet, which are also favoring a split from Spain. During her speech, she said that 5 years after the 2017 independence referendum many people have run out of patience and she hinted at the creation of a new party, while many rally-goers spontaneously chanted “government, step down.”

Yesterday’s rally and Feliu’s ultimatum imply a move forward by the ANC in a delicate political moment, when ERC and Junts are negotiating a way not to derail the government agreement, although Junts is considering the possibility of leaving it. There is still a lot of legislation ahead, although next year there will be local and Spanish parliamentary elections, and a possible economic recession is looming and will shake the foundations of all political institutions.

President Aragonès did not attend the rally “because it is against [pro-independence] parties and not against Spain.” This is a major evidence that campaigners for a split with Spain are divided between those prioritizing talks with Madrid, including Aragonès, and those who say confrontation would be a much more effective way ahead. Indeed, the official manifesto for the protest, organized by grassroots organization ANC, criticizes the handling of the independence campaign by the parties leading it. It is the first time since 2015 that a Catalan president fails to attend the march.

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Hundreds of people gather in Folgueroles and burn Spanish flags

The event was called by the Civil Disobedience movement and consisted mainly of fun events (theatre, debates, music with Musicians for Freedom). Catalans for Independence, the Committees for the Defense of the Republic of Osona and Action for Independence have participated in the events. Among them some hooded men have entered the town hall where they have unfurled a banner.

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Amnesty International Report 2021/22 denounces that Spanish Human rights violations continue against Catalan national minority

Amnesty International Annual Report 2021/22 continues to denounce that Human rights violations in Spain continue, especially in Catalonia "Investigations into allegations of unlawful use of force by law enforcement officials during the Oct 2017 protests in Catalonia remained open". Catalan pro-independence grassroots leaders"spent almost four years in detention, following an unjust conviction on sedition charges in connection w/ peaceful protests and the 2017 referendum on Catalan independence". President in exile and MEPCarlesPuigdemont was arrested in Sardinia following illegal procedures by the Spanish judiciary, and subsequently released. Spain's GagLaw remains in effect 6 yrs after its implementation, despite promises of change by the current Spanish government. Human rights violations in Spain continue, and the heirs of Francoism keep their impunity in a so-called "democracy".

Link to the report

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The Council of Europe : the Spanish government has not complied with any of the 19 recommendations made to it for to improve the transparency or to prevent corruption

The Council of Europe suspends the Spanish state in the fight against corruption. This is stated in the report prepared by the Group of States Against Corruption (GRECO) and published today, in which it can be seen that the Spanish government has not complied with any of the nineteen recommendations made to it for to improve the transparency and functioning of the administration and to prevent its corruption.
GRECO points especially to the police and considers its progress in building an "ethical infrastructure" to be "disappointing". The text notes that the Civil Guard has made "some progress", but does not see any "concrete improvement" in the case of the National Police. On the political front, GRECO regrets that the state has not taken any steps to strengthen transparency in the case of advisers or to establish a strategy to mitigate the risks of corruption in the case of senior officials. In the same vein, he sees no progress in the recommendation to ensure that the Transparency and Good Governance Council has "adequate independence, authority and resources to function effectively."

The report notes that the state has also made no progress in establishing rules on the relationship between senior officials and lobbies, or in recommending the expansion of public information on the assets of senior officials, or in overseeing possible conflicts. of interest.

With regard to gauging, GRECO regrets that the recommendation to amend this "special process" has not been implemented so as not to "obstruct" the proceedings in cases of high-ranking officials accused of corruption.

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Catalan Victory over the Spanish army in the Battle of Montjuïc Honoured

The Colonela(La Coronela) honoured the Catalan Soldier Day, celebrated every year on January 26 in recovering from the Catalan Victory on the Spanish Army in the Battle of Montjuïc, in 1641 and the Mechanical and Patriot Martí Martí and Bardella, buttered Spanish colonial police on January 26, 1979 and ending on January 29, 1979. In the Battle of Montjuïc 6,000 Catalans defeated a 23,000 strong Spanish army at the Barcelona's doors.

La Coronela focused the event on the Baluard de Santa Madrona on the 381st anniversary of the Battle of Montjuïc in which 6,000 Catalans defeated 23,000 Spaniards. But the Pyrenean Regiment, made up of Catalan pro-independence activists during the war from 1936 to 1939, was also honored. Apart from the public force, the councilor of Barcelona de Junts per Catalunya, Jordi Martí, took part in the event.


La Coronela is the name of the armed force of the town of Barcelona, and its objective was to defend the city during the War of the Spanish Occupaton. It was formed, in great part, by craftsmen and organized under the commandment of the Conseller en cap (Head councillor, in Catalan) of the Consell de Cent of Barcelona. It played a crucial role in the defense of the city against the pro Spanis Bourbonic troops (also called Philippists or Botiflers) from 1710 to 1714.

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The Assembly of Representatives of the Council for the Republic constituted with 121 seats

 

The constituent session of the Assembly of Representatives was held this Sunday, November 14, after the elections were held on October 29, 30 and 31. The Plenary Session was held in Canet de Rosselló, in northern Catalonia. The constituent session of the Assembly of Representatives was held this Sunday, November 14, after the elections were held on October 29, 30 and 31. The Plenary Session was held in Canet de Rosselló, in Northern Catalonia.

The Assembly of Representatives has 121 seats: 81 for the candidacies of citizens, distributed in veguerias and districts and 40 seats of elected positions of the Principality with a single constituency.

First, the old table was set up to start the Plenary Session. Once Jordi Domingo, President of the Electoral Syndicate, read the names of the two youngest people in the Plenary Session and the oldest, who chaired the first part. of the session, Blanca Serra.

The Plenary Session voted and approved Decree 2/2001 and subsequently voted the members of the final Board, it was possible to present any of the 121 elected representatives and this was the result:

    President: Ona Curto, councilor of the CUP in Arenys de Mar.
    First Vice President: Maria Costa Baqué, Mayor of the town of Banys d’Arles in northern Catalonia.
    Second Vice President: Jordi Pessarrodona, former ERC councilor in Sant Joan de Vilatorrada and of the Independentistas d’Esquerres.
    First Secretary: Joan Puig, historical militant of ERC and member of the current First of October.
    Second Secretary: Assumpció Lailla, Member of the Democrats.

The Plenary Session concluded with the approval of Decree 3/2021 on the constitution of the Commissions, which provides for a minimum of 7.

Speeches highlighted in order of intervention:

Blanca Serra Puig, President of the Age Board:

"The solution lies with us. We have the answer to the onslaught: active resistance. A resistance that is not questioned, that does not back down and knows how to generate and take advantage of any opportunity to advance on the path to freedom. Let's get ready, let's get up, let's mobilize. Moral of victory! ”

Carles Puigdemont, Acting Chairman of the Board:

“I want to encourage you. We need you so much. So far, we’ve taken the 2017 testimonial. It’s about taking that legacy and pushing it. This is a struggle that comes from afar and will go a long way. On behalf of the Council, I would like to thank you for your honorable support, for the deep pride I feel in being the first representatives of the Assembly of Representatives that has milled into democratic forms, which will no doubt be the ones that democratic society will have to take. L’estat català tindrà una radicalitat democràtica que no serà un calc de la mal anomenada democràcia espanyola”.

Toni Comín, Acting Vice-President of the Board

“The Council is the first institution in the country of voluntary affiliation that brings together more people in the whole of the Catalan Countries. I would also like to congratulate the small technical team of the Council for the success of this constituent session. Those of you who have been elected representatives have the right and the duty to feel protagonists in the process that will allow us to reach the end and make the Republic ”.

Ona Curto, President of the Assembly of Representatives

"The Council must be another tool to achieve independence, we must legitimize it and make it useful, as it is currently the Republican tool that presents more strategy and points of content. It is important that the political movement I represent is there and we occupy this space. We must give a voice to plurality, transversality and feminism so that the Council does not have a single voice ”.

The # AR2021 has also launched today the following website: https://assemblearepresentants.cat/has 121 seats: 81 for the candidacies of citizens, distributed in veguerias and districts and 40 seats of elected positions of the Principality with a single constituency.

First, the old table was set up to start the Plenary Session. Once Jordi Domingo, President of the Electoral Syndicate, read the names of the two youngest people in the Plenary Session and the oldest, who chaired the first part. of the session, Blanca Serra.

The Plenary Session voted and approved Decree 2/2001 and subsequently voted the members of the final Board, it was possible to present any of the 121 elected representatives and this was the result:

President: Ona Curto, councilor of the CUP in Arenys de Mar.
First Vice President: Maria Costa Baqué, Mayor of the town of Banys d’Arles in northern Catalonia.
Second Vice President: Jordi Pessarrodona, former ERC councilor in Sant Joan de Vilatorrada and of the Independentistas d’Esquerres.
First Secretary: Joan Puig, historical militant of ERC and member of the current First of October.
Second Secretary: Assumpció Lailla, Member of the Democrats.

The Plenary Session concluded with the approval of Decree 3/2021 on the constitution of the Commissions, which provides for a minimum of 7.

Speeches highlighted in order of intervention:

Blanca Serra Puig, President of the Age Board:

"The solution lies with us. We have the answer to the onslaught: active resistance. A resistance that is not questioned, that does not back down and knows how to generate and take advantage of any opportunity to advance on the path to freedom. Let's get ready, let's get up, let's mobilize. Moral of victory! ”

Carles Puigdemont, Acting Chairman of the Board:

“I want to encourage you. We need you so much. So far, we’ve taken the 2017 testimonial. It’s about taking that legacy and pushing it. This is a struggle that comes from afar and will go a long way. On behalf of the Council, I would like to thank you for your honorable support, for the deep pride I feel in being the first representatives of the Assembly of Representatives that has milled into democratic forms, which will no doubt be the ones that democratic society will have to take. L’estat català tindrà una radicalitat democràtica que no serà un calc de la mal anomenada democràcia espanyola”.

Toni Comín, Acting Vice-President of the Board

“The Council is the first institution in the country of voluntary affiliation that brings together more people in the whole of the Catalan Countries. I would also like to congratulate the small technical team of the Council for the success of this constituent session. Those of you who have been elected representatives have the right and the duty to feel protagonists in the process that will allow us to reach the end and make the Republic ”.

Ona Curto, President of the Assembly of Representatives

"The Council must be another tool to achieve independence, we must legitimize it and make it useful, as it is currently the Republican tool that presents more strategy and points of content. It is important that the political movement I represent is there and we occupy this space. We must give a voice to plurality, transversality and feminism so that the Council does not have a single voice ”.

The # AR2021 has also launched today the following website: https://assemblearepresentants.cat/

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Wave of attacks against Spanish paraphernalia assumed by the new Catalan resistance group Action for Independence

 

Five attacks in five days. So far iver acts of sabotage have been carried out in a short space of time. Acció per la Independència (Action for Independence) began its offensive on July 18, the date of the beginning of the Spanish Fascist uprising in 1936. The organization sabotaged the crypt of Montserrat Mountain dedicated to the Spanish Francoists and destroyed Franco's symbols by breaking into the crypt of the requetès de Montserrat and the Francoist emblems that were there. Almost simultaneously, the next day, a monolith located in Albons (Baix Empordà) was destroyed in homage to his fallen “For God and Spain”, with the emblem of the 'Brotherhood of Captives for Spain', related to the Phalange Fascist party. In a third action on July 20, a similar monolith was also destroyed in Canet d'Adri (Gironès).

The organization, which was set up on April 23, said that this is the only way to "decide with full freedom the political, social and cultural changes that allow Catalonia to move to an advanced society." The group, which has already advanced that its sabotage campaign continues, has no visible faces and in fact claims to be an anonymous, transversal and unitary organization.

The fourth action of the pro-independence group Acció per la Independència, has been tonight in Santa Maria del Collell (Sant Ferriol, La Garrotxa). The group destroyed a monumental complex dedicated to 48 Falangist prisoners executed in January 1939 on Wednesday morning. The monument, made up of a cross and a monolith, was destroyed. Pro-independence activists have dropped both items, smashed commemorative plaques and even finished it off with a drill. Simultaneously another squad has destroyed a monolith of exaltation of the Spanish Franco regime in Avignon (Bages) also tonight.

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Audios show that the Spanish police tortured Basque citizens to death: "we made them dig holes before killing them"

Evidence of torture to death by the state when it was ruled by the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Party nowadays ruling force) appeared yesterday. Yesterday they were referring to Mikel Zabaltza. The Spanish Luis Alberto Perote, former colonel of the Superior Center of Defense Information (CSID), and Pedro Gómez Nieto, captain of the Civil Guard, in the audio talk about how Felipe González, then president of the PSOE and the government, was informed of the torture. About Zabaltza the death "was during the interrogation. Possibly a cardiac arrest due to the bag on his head. This is my impression. They made a lot of mistakes. They interrogated him and had his relatives in the next room."

About Joxean Lasa and Joxi Zabala, who were kidnapped, tortured and killed by the LAG in 1983, Gómez Nieto, captain of the Civil Guard, relates that they were forced to dig their grave before being executed with a shot to the head Two years later, their bodies were discovered by a hunter in a pit in Busot, although they could not be identified until 1995, as they had been hung with quicklime.

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Catalan Patriots display a huge 'Donec Perficiam' (Until We Prevail) black flag in Vic

 

The new organization Catalonians for independence, unfurled a giant black flag in Vic (Osona) on Sunday 24 January. The action had the support of Volunteers for the Republic and the Committees in Defense of the Republic of the West, Vic, Ter, Anoia and Penedès.
"This flag with the cross of Santa Eulàlia spread today here in the square is an example of a shared struggle, in this case with Catalans for the Independence of Cardona, Motards Independentistes and other local and territorial CDRs."

The Catalan black flag or of Donec Perficiam (until successful, motto of the Catalan royal guards in the 18th century) was designed by the Reeixida foundation in 2008 and means "non-surrender". This meaning comes from its historical contrast to the white flag, a symbol of surrender. The flag commemorates the tricentenary of the War of the Spanish Succession. During the siege of Barcelona in 1714, black flags were hoisted in the city of Barcelona as a symbol of resistance. It was not until July 2014 that it was redesigned, a white star and the cross of Santa Eulàlia, patron saint of Barcelona, ​​were added.

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Spaniards paint fascist swastikas and Celtic crosses in a pro-independence social center in Mallorca

The Casal Voltor Negre appeared last Monday morning with graffiti of fascist symbolism. This has been reported by members of the Casal through the networks. "At the gates of Mallorca Day, our house has been attacked with fascist symbols on the facade," they said. They have also added a video where they make a cross over the fascist graffiti. "Not a step back. No fascist space! ”, They pointed out. It should be noted that this is not the first time that both the Casal Voltor Negre and Can Alcover, a Catalan cultural center,  have been attacked in this way by Spanish groups. Especially in the days leading up to Mallorca Day that remembers when Catalans arrived to the island. Members of the social center  have already cleaned the Spanish graffiti.

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A Spaniard admits that he assaulted a couple who knew nothing because they spoke Catalan

A man has admitted that he assaulted a couple who knew nothing because they spoke Catalan and thought they were pro-independence. The confession has allowed him a pact with the Prosecutor's Office to avoid going to jail. Defendant and prosecutor have agreed to a one-year sentence for two hate crimes, and the man will also have to take two courses to encourage tolerance and to prevent violent behavior, in addition to paying a fine and compensation of 4,000. euros.

The victims are a man and a woman who, in September 2018, were in a bar in Badalona when the aggressor threw himself at them. According to the convict's statement, he heard that the victims spoke in Catalan about politics. Without any discussion or confrontation, and "with the will to humiliate or despise them for thinking that their ideology was pro-independence," he told them "sons of bitches, pro-independence, we will kill you all."

He threw a planter on the ground, threw a chair at the 64-year-old man, and began assaulting him. He knocked him to the ground and said, "I will kill you, I will cut off your neck. When the woman tried to stop the assault, the defendant pushed her hard and hit her with a fence.

The man ended up with several injuries to his neck, shoulders, chest, knee and foot. He was five days disabled and ten more with care, and still has joint pain. The woman injured her elbow, neck and a crack in a rib, which also took 15 days to heal.

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Catalanophobia: New Spanish attack to the sculpture of the Sardana (Catalan dance)

The sculpture of the Sardana in Montjuic Mountain, Barcelona, has been vandalized twice in one week. The attack on the sculpture took place in two phases: first, two hands of one of the figures were broken and, one week later, the hands of the other 8 were broken. The sculpture of Josep Cañas, which consists of 8 dancers, was mutilated by Spaniards in 2002, one of the dancers was removed from the group. In October 2014 he also suffered an attack by Spanish Catalanophobics, this time 6 arms were broken.

The monument is a praise of the sardana, encourages regional folklore and has become a symbol of clandestine Catalanism in Barcelona. The pro Spanish mayorship elected by Catalunya en Comú (communists), PSOE (Socialists) and a split of far right C'anos party has been unable to restore the monument since two months.

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Catalan pro independence students unions win elections in Barcelona's University

The National Federation of Students of Catalonia (FNEC), has won 8 of the 30 seats (25% of 121 corresponding to students) at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona in the elections of 2 December. The union founded in 1931 presented 14 candidacies and has achieved a particularly remarkable result in economics where it has obtained 3 of the 6 seats and in law where it has obtained 3 of the 8 Representatives.

The Bloc Estudiantil (Students Block), formed by the Students' Union of the Catalan Countries, Espurna Feminista and Assemblea Ciutadella) presented 15 candidacies and has obtained 10 elected peoplewith a particularly remarkable result in politics where it has obtained 3 of the 3 places to choose. The sum of the two formations totals 18 of the 31 fseats to be chosen by students at UPF.

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The Council for the Republic convenes the founding Assembly of Representatives to be held in Argelers

The Assembly of Representatives is the body of general representation and higher decision of the Council for the Republic. The Council for the Republic has convened the Founding Assembly of Representatives to be held in Argelers, in Northern Catalonia under French rule, on 19 December. Respecting the prevention regulations of the Covid-19, the members of the Assembly will participate both in physical and virtual assistance and will be carried out without public. All the people registered in the register of the Council by the Republic will be able to follow the session by the telematic channels of the own Council.

All the deputies of the Parliament of Catalonia in favor of Catalonia becoming an independent state in the form of a Republic who want to be part of it and, in any case, the deputies of the Parliamentary Groups who signed the Investiture Agreement that gave way to the current government of the Generalitat and the creation of the Council by the Republic, as determined by that Agreement and the Regulations of the Council, approved unanimously by the members of the Governing Council in its session on April 20.

The Assembly of Representatives, in accordance with the planned Agenda, in addition to electing its Bureau, will ratify the MHP as President of the Council for the Republic, will debate the political action of the Council and its Plan of Government, and shall also debate and vote on the Rules of Procedure of the Council.

This founding session will also debate and vote on the Electoral Regime that will be used to elect the future Ordinary Assembly of Representatives and which includes, among others, the following issues:

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Ben Emmerson: the Catalan independence movement is "born of the struggle to overcome the legacy of Francoism"

British lawyer Ben Emmerson, a member of the international defense of pro-independence prisoners, has stated that the Catalan independence movement is essentially a liberal anti-fascist movement that is "born of the struggle to overcome the legacy of Francoism." in The Hague, the Netherlands, at an international legal conference on self-determination within the European Union, organized by the ANC (Catalan National Assembly) in the Netherlands on Friday. For the lawyer, the Catalan question does not revolve around a discussion of nationalisms, it is "a real struggle to consolidate a democratic and liberal system of values in the face of a deep state that has allowed Franco's values to be perpetuated."

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21 Catalan minority people detained today for their pro independence ideology

Spain is a Fascist state. Spain is not a democracy but an authoritarian beast harrasing, day by day, the Catalan minority. The Spanish paramilitary police (guardia civil), has caused unrest amongst the movement's sympathizers, with many calling for an end to "repression." A historian, Josep Lluís Alay, a editor, Oriol Soler, an sportsman Xavier Vinyals of a lobby in favor of Catalan national sports teams (banned by Spain unlike the United Kingdom) are three of the 21 civilians kidnapped by a military corps well known by tortures, rapes and corruption. The Spanish move is ludicrous.  The detainees are accused of Catalan independence ideas and phantom relations with Julian Assange, Edward Snowden and the Russian government. 

In an operation led by a Spanish inquisition court, searches in 31 spots across Catalonia and 21 detentions were being performed for pro-independence activities and protests. The Catalan President in Exile and MEP Carles Puigdemont, who was Catalonia's president at the time of the 2017 independence bid, swiftly criticized the investigation carried out by the Spanish Guardia Civil. "Spain's Guardia Civil just detained my head of office in Barcelona, Josep Alay, together with a dozen of other people linked with the pro-independence movement. They must be immediately released. Acting against political dissidents is a huge violation of fundamental rights." The Catalan Government as well as grassroots movements have protestes in front of the Catalan autonomous government HQ against the Spanish repression towards the Catalan minority.

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Catalan National Assembly asks the European Union to protect the rights of Spain's Catalan minority

The Catalan National Assembly (ANC) has appealed to the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to protect the rights of the "Catalan minority" within Spain. 

In a letter signed by ANC president Elisenda Paluzie​, the pro-independence organization has asked the European institutions to revise the chapter on Spain in the recently-published Rule of Law in Europe 2020 report, which failed to include the input from 14 Catalan civil society institutions - ranging from the Catalan Ombudsman to the ANC itself. The Assembly asserts that the European Commission's report is incomplete without including the allegations of "human rights violations" by the state against Catalonia - such as the rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association, and that of self-determination.

The omission of this information by the EU was a "bitter disappointment", says the ANC, given that other international bodies have addressed it: for the Universal Periodic Review of the United Nations on human rights in Spain (in January 2020) contributions from the Assembly and other Catalan organizations were taken into account in the reports by the UN Human Rights Council, with over 110 countries raising questions and recommendations on the situation of human rights in Spain.

The letter also points out that the UN Special Rapporteur on Minorities, Fernand de Varennes, said in March 2020 that the Spanish state "has a legal obligation to protect the rights of the Catalan minority, especially with regard to freedom of expression, including political expression, as well as freedom of assembly and association, fundamental rights and participation in public life."

In response, however, the Spanish state "has not addressed" any of these recommendations. Spain's "lack of respect for the rule of law" is only matched by its tendency to mention it as much as possible, asserts the letter. "The accountability of EU member states rests on supranational institutions such as the European Commission, and European citizens need to know that their representation is taken into account if they are to trust these institutions," the ANC emphasizes.

The letter also notes that four anniversaries falling this week underline the "deterioration of the human rights situation" in Spain, especially as it affects Catalans: the 2019 court verdict sentencing nine Catalan leaders to jail for sedition; also in 2019, the jailing of Spanish activist Dani Gallardo for protesting in Madrid against the court decisions; the 2017 jailing of activists Jordi Cuixart and Jordi Sànchez, denounced as arbitrary by a UN Working Group; and the 1940 execution by the Franco regime of Catalan president Lluís Companys, for which Spain has never apologized.
 

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