- Title: French Catalans protest jailing of separatist leaders
- Date: 15th October 2019
- Summary: PERPIGNAN, FRANCE (OCTOBER 14, 2019) (REUTERS) PROTESTERS CHANTING, ONE HOLDING SIGN READING (English): "SELF-DETERMINATION IS A RIGHT, NOT A CRIME" PROTESTERS GATHERED SOME WITH CATALAN INDEPENDENCE FLAGS KNOWN AS THE "ESTELADA" PROTESTERS HOLDING BANNER READING (English): "#FAKE JUSTICE" PROTESTERS GATHERED VARIOUS OF PRESIDENT OF "CASA DE LA GENERALITAT" WHICH REPRESENTS THE AUTONOMOUS GOVERNMENT OF CATALONIA IN PERPIGNAN, JOSEP PUIGBERT, AT PROTEST (SOUNDBITE) (French) PRESIDENT OF "CASA DE LA GENERALITAT" WHICH REPRESENTS THE AUTONOMOUS GOVERNMENT OF CATALONIA IN PERPIGNAN, JOSEP PUIGBERT, SAYING: "My reaction is indignation, sadness and anger as well because it's an injustice that nine democrats are in prison." PROTESTERS CHANTING (SOUNDBITE) (French) PRESIDENT OF "CASA DE LA GENERALITAT" WHICH REPRESENTS THE AUTONOMOUS GOVERNMENT OF CATALONIA IN PERPIGNAN, JOSEP PUIGBERT, SAYING: "Today is hard to think with a clear head, it's a very heavy and hard day. I would like to think that in the end there will be an offer for dialogue, an action and reaction from Europe, where they will try to bring the two parties around a table to negotiate a way out and especially facilitate what we Europeans want which is to exercise democracy."
- Embargoed: 29th October 2019 08:37
- Keywords: Spain Barcelona self-determination failed independence bid Perpignan separatist leaders Catalonia jailed political leaders Spanish Supreme Court ruling protest
- Location: PERPIGNAN, FRANCE
- City: PERPIGNAN, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Judicial Process/Court Cases/Court Decisions
- Reuters ID: LVA001B17K407
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Over 500 people gathered in the southwestern French town of Perpignan on Monday evening (October 14) to protest Spain's Supreme Court decision to jail nine Catalan separatist leaders for between nine and 13 years for their role in a failed independence bid.
Protesters waved Catalan independence flags and sang the region's anthem as speeches were given about what protesters said was "fake justice". The ruling also triggered mass protests in the Spanish region and left the future course of the dispute uncertain.
Josep Puigbert who leads the "Casa de la Generalitat", an official representation of Catalonia's autonomous government in Perpignan, said he hoped there would be an opportunity for dialogue and that the European Union would react to the decision.
The case concerned an independence referendum that was held in October 2017 despite being ruled illegal by Spanish courts, and the subsequent short-lived declaration of independence.
The longest prison term - 13 years - was imposed on the Catalan government's former deputy leader, Oriol Junqueras. The court convicted him and eight other leaders on charges of sedition and four of them of misuse of public funds.
(Production: Alexandre Minguez and Pascale Antonie) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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