'Voting can never be a crime, we are democrats and pacifists,' say jailed leaders in statement of defense

Jailed pro-independence leaders Oriol Junqueras and Raül Romeva refuse charges of rebellion, sedition, and misuse of funds, for which they will face trial in the coming weeks, and demand their acquittal.

In their statement of defense, obtained by TV3 and confirmed by Catalan News, their lawyer argues that both politicians have always been "democrats and pacifists".

Both leaders, a former vice president and the former foreign affairs minister, are currently in pre-trial jail. In the statement, they ask again for their release in order to be able to properly prepare their defense and get a "fair trial."

In the defense statement, the lawyer argues that the politicians are being unfairly targeted for political reasons. "This trial is an example of the instrumentalization of the judiciary to persecute a movement that, through peaceful means, seeks a legitimate political goal in a democracy."