'State will tell lies and fake facts' - government spokesperson on Catalan Trial

On the morning of the first day of week two of the Catalan trial, pro-independence MPs gathered near the Spanish Supreme Court to denounce the trial and support their fellow party members testifying in court.

Esquerra Republicana and Junts per Catalunya politicians and party officials were at the media event which took place before the court sessions began. On Tuesday, Jordi Turull, former government spokesperson, and Raül Romeva, the ex foreign affairs minister in the Catalan government, testified in the court.

“We are going to see the same as last Thursday, the shame that this trial is,” Elsa Artadi, Catalan government spokesperson and successor to Turull said in an interview with Catalan News. “We're going to see how representatives of the government of the State are going to state all these lies and fake facts about what happened,” she said.

Artadi continued: “But in the way they talk, everything shows: there was no violence, there was no illegal action because voting cannot be illegal.”

“We are here today to be with [our colleagues facing trial.] Jordi Turull is the legitimate minister of the presidency, I am just temporarily taking his place and I take this responsibility with an honour.

“Today I thought my place was to be here with him, giving him full support, not only on my behalf but on the behalf of the entire department," she concluded.

Ernest Maragall, member of Esquerra Republicana (Republican Left) and successor to Raül Romeva as foreign affairs minister in the Catalan government, described the Catalan trial as “unbelievable.” He also spoke warmly about his incarcerated colleague, describing him as an “honest, intelligent, democrat.”

“It's unbelievable because everybody knows Raül from his period in the European parliament and his work,” Maragall lamented beside the Spanish Supreme Court. “Everyone knows he was one of the best European parliamentarians. He was committed, he was solvent, he was honest, he was intelligent, he was a democrat.”

Maragall strongly defended his colleague, saying Romeva's only fault was “to be a democrat” representing his citizens. “It's incredible that the Spanish state decided to judge him for being such, just for being a European citizen. He was only ever coherent with his electoral commitments.”

Romeva's wife, Diana Riba, urged the judges to be “brave” in their ruling, and described Romeva´s composure before the testimony as “calm and serene,” adding that they will leave the Supreme Court in Madrid today “with their heads held high.”