Formerly jailed leaders say UN report supports legal battle and amnesty

Formerly jailed independence leaders Raül Romeva and Josep Rull believe the recent United Nations Human Rights Committee report could help them on the course to overturning their sedition convictions.

Romeva and Rull, both of whom were Catalan cabinet ministers at the time of the 2017 referendum deemed illegal by Spain, defended this position in a press conference that took place in Barcelona and Geneva simultaneously, connected via video link, on Friday.

The report states that Spain violated their political rights, as well as those of Oriol Junqueras and Jordi Turull, by stripping them of their status as MPs prior to their conviction in October 2019.

In light of this, Romeva for one argued the resolution called for "a political reaction from the Spanish government" and more specifically, "an amnesty."

The nine imprisoned politicians and activists were released from prison in June 2021 after receiving a pardon from Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez, but legally they are still guilty of sedition for organizing the vote and cannot hold office. An amnesty has been one of the independence movement's long-standing demands.

Nico Krisch, a lawyer who addressed the press from Switzerland, argued that Spain now had to make legal changes to ensure political rights are not violated again in the future. While the committee cannot force Spain to do so, it "could have significant reputational issues" otherwise. 

Rull, who called the resolution "binding," said it demonstrated that the rebellion charges against him and other referendum organizers were "groundless." "There was no violence, there was no armed uprising, there was no military uprising."

Spain: "A new phase has already begun"

Spain's Socialist presidency minister Félix Bolaños, meanwhile, highlighted just how much relations between the Spanish and Catalan governments have improved in the years since the conservative People's Party lost power.

"What is important now is that a new phase has already begun in Catalonia," Bolaños said, citing "dialogue, agreements, and overcoming the conflict" as evidence.

Nonetheless, the minister said Spain would take a look at the "non-binding" resolution. 

Days earlier, Spanish transport minister Raquel Sánchez said the government was "open to improving legislation," although she did say that the ruling against the independence leaders was "lawful."