Pro-independence civic groups to act as private prosecutors in police investigation

Pro-independence civic groups Catalan National Assembly (ANC) and Òmnium Cultural will act as private prosecutors in the trial against the police forces for their alleged actions on the day of the Catalan independence referendum, October 1, 2017. 

Before imprisonment, Jordi Sànchez was president of ANC, while Jordi Cuiart, also in jail for his role in the independence push, remains president of Òmnium Cultural. 

Current president of the Catalan National Assembly, Elisenda Paluzie, confirmed the organizations’ roles while speaking to Ràdio 4. 

Paluzie said that they were asked to act as private prosecutors to relieve the City Council of Barcelona, which was excluded from the role by the Barcelona High Court. 

"We appreciated that we needed to continue to work and end up judging and condemning those responsible for the violence against people," said Paluzie. 

On the day of the Catalan independence referendum, police forces were recorded across Catalonia charging at and beating citizens gathered who were in voting stations.