Catalan trial: the accused and the accusations

In the final act of Spain's most consequential trial in decades, the Supreme Court judges will be announcing in the coming days the verdict for the 12 Catalan politicians and activists charged for organizing a referendum and declaring independence in the fall of 2017.

After a 4-month trial, at least two conflicting narratives emerged: while the accused presented themselves as pacifists who defended the will of Catalans while ultimately offering no resistance when Spain tried to stop them, the three prosecutors want them sentenced for undermining Spain's legal framework, leading a violent uprising, and using public funds for their political goals.

When determining the verdict, the judges must take into account the defense teams' arguments as well as the sentences requested by Spain's public prosecutor (or attorney general), the solicitor general, and the far-right Vox party, which acted as a private prosecutor. However, judges will have the last say.

The main difference between the charge of rebellion and the less serious offense of sedition is that sedition is a tumultuous uprising against the rule of law, while rebellion implies violence.

Nine of the accused – that is to say, all of them except Carles Mundó, Meritxell Borràs, and Santi Vila – are currently in precautionary detention, having spent time in prison ranging from 18 months for Carme Forcadell to 2 years for Jordi Sànchez and Jordi Cuixart.

Here's a guide to who the 12 defendants are, their posts at the time of the referendum, and the sentences proposed for each of them by the three different prosecutors in this case.