Spanish justice different from European, says Catalan vice president in ‘The Times’

The Catalan vice president, Oriol Junqueras, denounced the singularity of the Spanish justice in an article published on Friday in the British newspaper The Times. According to him, “Spanish justice does not act like its European counterparts.” Two weeks ago, the Spanish National Court sent him to jail without bail as a precautionary measure while he awaits sentence, as well as seven other Catalan ministers. Meanwhile, a Belgian judge had a different approach with President Puigdemont and the four other ministers staying in Brussels. During the process to decide their extradition, they were not sent to jail.

Despite being behind bars, Junqueras will run in the December 21 election as top candidate of the pro-independence Esquerra Republicana party ticket. “The Spanish government wants us kneeling, submissive, but it will find us on our feet,” he said in the op-ed. “I might be in prison, but Catalans will keep up the struggle.” The vice president of the Catalan government, deposed by Madrid, said that Catalans are “peaceful and brave.” He added that they have “their children in mind” while suffering the punishment “to defend Catalonia’s freedom.”