Richard Boyd Barrett: Condemns Spanish jailing of Catalan leaders
Richard Boyd Barrett spoke in parliament on 16 Oct 2019 about the Spanish state's actions against Catalan leaders and demonstrators, condemning long prison terms and police violence. He argued those jailed had organised a referendum and urged the government and the European Union to speak out in defence of self-determination.
Historical reference
He recalled that 79 years ago the Nazis extradited Luis Compáñez, the Catalonian president, back to Spain where the fascist regime of Franco executed him for rebellion. He said the Spanish Prime Minister recently suggested that that execution was "an absolutely legitimate thing" for the Franco regime to do, using the remark to justify current actions against Catalan leaders.
Court rulings and sentences
He cited recent Spanish court decisions that, in his account, imposed "100 years of imprisonment" on the Deputy Prime Minister and other leading figures. He stressed that the alleged crime was not declaring independence but organising a referendum for self-determination.
Demonstrations and police violence
He described five demonstrations, each 100 kilometres long, leaving five Catalan cities in protest at the court rulings. He said he had watched disturbing footage of Spanish police brutally beating pensioners and older people at peaceful demonstrations.
Appeal to government and European Union
He appealed directly to the government to "speak out vocally and clearly" to condemn the jailing of people exercising the right to self-determination and to denounce the violence of the Spanish state. He warned that if governments and the EU remain silent, Europe's claim to uphold human, civil and democratic rights would be rendered hollow.
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Mr, 79 years ago the Nazis extradited Luis Compáñez, the Catalonian president, back to Spain where the fascist regime of Franco executed him for rebellion against the Spanish state. In the last few days the Prime Minister of Spain has suggested that that was an absolutely legitimate thing for the fascist regime of Franco to do as he commented on their right to imprison leaders of the Catalonian independence movement, elected politicians and officials. So you couldn't really get a more stark and alarming and sinister reminder of the brutal and repressive nature of what the Spanish state are now doing to elected representatives of Catalonia and indeed to millions of Catalonians who have done nothing more than exercise their legitimate aspiration through democratic means, through the means of a referendum for national self-determination and independence. And yet we have the Spanish Prime Minister quoting favourably the decision of a a fascist regime to execute a fascist regime to execute a Catalonian president for doing the same thing. And our government and the European Union sits idly by, deathly silent. As we speak, there are five demonstrations going from five different Catalonian cities which are 100 kilometres long, each of them 100 kilometres long, absolutely horrified, absolutely horrified at the decision of the Spanish courts to impose 100 years of imprisonment on the Deputy Prime Minister and other leading figures. And their crime by the way was not to declare independence but was to organise a referendum. The police violence, I mean I've just watched some of the police violence, I mean I've just been watching some of the most disturbing pictures of Spanish police beating pensioners and old people to the ground, throwing to the ground and beating them ruthlessly for being on peaceful demonstrations in Catalonia, for exercising what is a key international human right, the right to self-determination. And nothing said. Now I am appealing to your government to speak out vocally and clearly to condemn what the Spanish government have done in jailing people who have done nothing more than exercise what is a legitimate right under international law which is to fight for self-determination. And when they did so through democratic means of holding a referendum and to condemn the violence of the Spanish state against this peaceful movement for self-determination. I hope you will do it and raise this issue with your European colleagues otherwise frankly Europe's profession to be an upholder of human civil and democratic rights is nothing but hollow talk. 結果. Emmanuel Macron. .
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