Sinn Féin call for Spanish Government to stop proceedings against Carme Forcadell

London (CNA).- The Spanish Government’s prosecution of Parliament’s President, Carme Forcadell, for allowing the debate over the pro-independence roadmap in the Catalan Chamber continues to produce international reactions. This Monday, the Foreign Affairs spokesperson of Irish Republicans Sinn Féin, Seán Crowe, called for the Spanish executive to “reconsider” its position “even at this late stage” and “stop the proceedings” against Forcadell. According to the Irish politician, the Spanish authorities “cannot stifle, ignore, or ban the democratic demands” of the Catalan people and he lamented that the Parliament’s President could be fined and banned from public office for “allegedly violating Spanish law by allowing a Parliamentary debate on altering the Spanish Constitution, in relation to Catalan independence”. 

“The pending prosecution of Ms Forcadell is wrong and the proceedings should stop”, stated Crowe both on his personal website and that of Sinn Féin. The Irish politician noted that “by facilitating a public debate on the live issue of Catalan independence” Forcadell “is somehow seen to be guilty of a crime by the Spanish authorities” and “could be subject to debarment from public office and a personal fine”. “This is hugely concerning, is an attack on democracy, and sets a dangerous precedent”, he added and emphasised that prosecuting Forcadell “for facilitating a debate on such an important and popular issue puts at risk the very democratic standards that people hold dear throughout the world”.

Thus, Crowe calls for the Spanish Government “to reconsider the pending prosecution” despite its “late stage” and urges the executive of Spanish President Mariano Rajoy “to resolve its disagreements with the Catalan Parliament, including on an independence referendum” and do so “through a process of mutual dialogue and respect”. “They cannot arbitrarily stifle, ignore, or ban the democratic demands of a people who are seeking alternative structures outside the current Spanish State”, he denounced.