Jailed Catalan leaders ‘victims of revenge,’ relatives tell European Parliament

The relatives of pro-independence leaders jailed in Madrid spoke at the European Parliament on Tuesday to condemn the situation of their family members as “punishment, revenge and humiliation” by Spain.

The event was also attended by relatives of the young men charged with terrorism for their involvement in a bar brawl in Alsasua, and the support group for convicted rapper Valtonyc, who recently left Spain to avoid entering jail.

Anna Forn, the daughter of deposed minister Joaquim Forn, called on the European Union to prevent “one of its member states acting with impunity.” “Today, we are the ones defending freedom and democracy, but tomorrow it could be others, and this should not only scare all Spanish citizens, but also those in Europe,” she said.