100 days on political ‘problem not solved’ but ‘aggravated’

The deposed Catalan president Carles Puigdemont said on Tuesday that “100 days after” his arrival in Belgium, “the problem has not been resolved, but only aggravated.” Speaking to the press in Leuven, where he participated in an event organized by the grassroots organization ANC in solidarity of the Catalan leaders still in prison, Puigdemont also warned that Spain has “a very serious political problem.”

He added that the Spanish government is not seeking a solution through “politics, but with the criminal code.” With regards to those who remain behind bars, including the dismissed vice president and pro-independence grassroots leaders, Puigdemont stated that it is “especially painful” to keep prisoners “with the deceptive argument of violence,” once again calling for dialogue as well as the use of the “tools of democracy.”

The fact that the Spanish Supreme Court ruled to deny Jordi Sànchez his freedom on Tuesday was called an “injustice” that “seriously affects human, civil, and politcal rights.” This was the first public appearance of the leader of Puigdemont with Toni Comín after the publication of his private messages. Comín, Lluís Puig, Clara Ponsatí and Meritxell Serret all participated with Puigdemont at the event.