Spain’s delegate in Catalonia in favor of pardoning pro-independence leaders

The Spanish government delegate in Catalonia, Teresa Cunillera, has said that she is in favor of pardoning pro-independence leaders if courts sentence them to jail.

"In order to grant [a presidential pardon], there must be a firm ruling, and also a firm petition from the person who accepts [such ruling],” said Cunillera in an interview with the Catalan public radio broadcasted on Saturday.

Later in the day, Cunillera said her words had been taken out of context and issued a statement underscoring the independence of the judiciary and stressing that it is too early to discuss what will happen after the trial.

There are nine pro-independence leaders jailed while awaiting trial for their role in last year’s referendum and declaration of independence, all of which were carried out despite Spain’s opposition.

Imprisoned politicians and activists are accused of violent rebellion, one of the most serious offences in the Spanish criminal code, and which can carry prison sentences of up to 30 years.

With the trial against pro-independence leaders due to start in the coming months, some of them have already been held behind bars for almost a year.

While Cunillera said she is eager to issue a pardon once the trial comes to an end, she made clear that jailed politicians must be the ones who request it.

In contrast, Txell Bonet, the wife of jailed activist Jordi Cuixart, recently said that it was up to the Spanish government to offer the pardon.

The pardon is issued by the Spanish king under the auspices of the president and his ministers. According to Spanish regulations, anyone can request the pardon of a person sentenced to jail—including the government and the court that issued the ruling in the first place.

Unionists take on Cunillera

Although Cunillera's Socialist party is against Catalan independence, the most fierce detractors of her proposal were other unionist parties.

Inés Arrimadas, the opposition head in Catalonia and the leader of Ciutadans (Cs), the largest unionist party in parliament, flatly rejected pardoning those politicians "who carried out a coup d'état".

"Are we talking about pardoning politicians who used money from social policies to organizing an illegal referendum? The same politicians who broke social harmony and are responsible for 4,000 companies fleeing Catalonia?" she said.

Arrimadas accused Spanish president Pedro Sánchez of "paying a mortgage" to pro-independence parties who helped him oust former president Mariano Rajoy.