MEP invites European Commission head to visit jailed Catalan leaders

An MEP for the pro-independence Esquerra party (ERC) has suggested that the head of the European Commission (EC), Jean-Claude Juncker, should "go and have a chat" with the jailed Catalan political leaders "about the values and founding principles of the European Union."

MEP Jordi Solé made his suggestion during a debate in the EU Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday, and he reminded the head of the EC that two of the prisoners, former vice president Oriol Junqueras and former foreign minister Raül Romeva, had once been members of the European Parliament.

Solé went on to suggest that after visiting the prisoners, Juncker should ask himself why these "democratic, peaceful and pro-European people" are in jail. "Ask yourself if having politicians and civil society leaders in jail for nearly a year and without a trial, on the basis of fake accusations, just for having organized a vote, just for having implemented a democratic mandate, is according or not to these very European values," Solé added.

The ERC member also took advantage to remind Juncker that on Tuesday "over a million citizens in Barcelona claimed again for our democratic rights. People convinced -despite feeling let down by European institutions- that a values-based Europe must be part of the solution."