‘We won’t give up,’ say jailed Catalan leaders in joint letter

Jailed Catalan leaders have pledged "not to give up" in a joint statement ahead of the trial in which they will face charges of violent rebellion for organizing a referendum last year and declaring independence despite Spain’s opposition.

The letter, published in Catalan media, is signed by all pro-independence leaders in prison: the former members of the government that attempted to separate from Spain, including vice president Oriol Junqueras and ministers Dolors Bassa, Joaquim Forn, Raül Romeva, Josep Rull, and Jordi Turull; former parliament speaker Carme Forcadell; and activists Jordi Cuixart and Jordi Sànchez.

"Just like we understand the need to feed the impotence, we must say that this, rather than helping our cause, will harm it, just like it will harm the political objectives of the country we want and the very reason why we’re jailed pending a political trial," read the letter.

Jailed leaders warn that "the aim of repression is to destabilize and divide us," and call on their supporters to stay united: "The richness of our movement is its plurality, and this is precisely its strength."