400 Catalan mayors call for 'fair and impartial' independence trial

Around 400 Catalan mayors called for a “fair and impartial” independence trial on Sunday night. During an event of the Catalan City Councils Association in Barcelona, cross-party local representatives demanded the “immediate release” of the jailed leaders, whose trial will begin on Tuesday.

Politicians from pro-independence parties, such as ERC, PDeCAT, and CUP, joined the declaration, but also members from Catalunya en Comú and the Socialists added their voices to the demands. Thus, Barcelona mayor Ada Colau underlined the “transversal representation” of mayors defending “fundamental rights and freedoms.”

According to Colau, it was not an “independence” event, but an act of “humanity” ahead of the trial against 12 independence leaders.

Call for dialogue

The mayors expressed their “support” for all politicians and civil-society activists “prosecuted for unfounded accusations” and called for “a political and democratic solution to the conflict between Spain and Catalonia through unconditional dialogue.”