Mas banned from public office for two years over 2014 symbolic vote on independence

Barcelona (CNA).- Former Catalan President Artur Mas has been sentenced to a two-year ban from holding public office for allowing a non-binding and symbolic vote on Catalan independence in 2014. Barcelona's High Court has found him guilty of “disobedience” and is also asking him to pay a fine of €36,500. Former Vice president Joana Ortega and former Education Minister Irene Rigau have also been banned from taking public office for a period of 1 year and 9 months and 1 year and 6 months. They will have to pay fines of €30,000 and €24,000, respectively.

The trial over the 9-N, which started a month ago, has been considered a political one by many public representatives and gathered outrage amongst Catalonia’s civil society. According to Mas, is “the success” of the 9-N, in which more than 2.3 million citizens expressed their opinion about Catalonia’s political future, what brought it before the court. “What a pity and what a mistake, what a terrible mistake”, he said before the court.