Oriol Junqueras sends letter to Spanish Prime Minister denouncing discriminatory treatment after Supreme Court’s threats to public officials

EFA Group President in the European Parliament Oriol Junqueras, together with other MEPs, including Diana Riba, François Alfonsi and Pernando Barrena, have sent a joint letter to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to address him severe concerns about the current situation of the Catalans pro-independence leaders in jail.

In the context of COVID-19 crisis, calls have been made by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights urging governments to release vulnerable people, including political prisoners during the outbreak.

The response from the Spanish Supreme Court was a brief statement to the media warning that if Catalan Prison Boards, on the execution of their legal mandate, allowed the Catalan leaders to spend at home the COVID-19 confinement period, they could face criminal charges, being their released denied.

This situation generates a discriminatory treatment, as well as posing a risks to the prisoners’ rights to adequate to the health standards and restricting other fundamental rights and principles, including the separation of powers, the principle of equality before the law and non-discriminatory for political grounds, the respect for minorities and the right to accountability.

MEPs encourage Spanish Prime Minister to initiate the appropriate proceedings and measures in order to prevent further unacceptable threats from the judiciary to public officials.

Read the full letter