Dilma Rousseff condemns the imprisonment of Catalan officials as ‘not a good idea’

The former president of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff, defends “the right to self-determination” as long as it’s carried out “with respect to democracy.” During the press conference held in Strasbourg at the European Parliament, she also criticized the incarceration of the members of the Catalan government. Rousseff stated that imprisoning political leaders is “not a good idea” nor that it will “have any effect.”

The Brazilian politician expressed her belief that incarcerating government officials won’t “change people’s opinions,” nor will it “change the opinions or attitudes of those being held.” She did not respond to whether she believed that those being held were “political prisoners.” Yet, she did compare their incarceration to her own as a “political prisoner,” which lasted for three years. Indeed, she also explained that being detained “actually reinforced” her beliefs and made her “more resolved to fight for democratic principles.”