28th March 2024
1 October 2017
Barcelona News Catalonia News Madrid News Main News

Catalan Trial: Day 49 summary

On the 49th day of the Catalan Trial, the defence teams were finally able to start presenting their video evidence in court.

Among their first videos were scenes in which some of the jailed leaders currently on trial called for the public to behave peacefully whilst still defending the Catalan independence referendum.

Catalan Trial: click here full details of those accused, the charges, and the accusers.

One of these videos was a La Sexta TV interview with Jordi Cuixart, one of the imprisoned pro-independence activists, where he openly rejects ‘violence and non-democratic behaviour’.

A lot of video footage of the actual day of the independence referendum on 1 October 2017 was also part of Wednesday’s documentary evidence, with images of police violence against peaceful voters and protestors at numerous locations across Catalonia.

ALSO READ: A UN group demands release of Sànchez, Cuixart and Junqueras

1 October 2017
Spanish Guardia Civil break the door of a polling station in Sant Julia de Ramis, where former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont was due to vote, on 1 October 2017, on the day of a referendum on independence for Catalonia banned by Madrid. (Lluis Gene / AFP)

Unlike Day 48’s session where the prosecution was at times unable to provide precise background information for each of the videos they had chosen to enter into documentary evidence, on Wednesday the lawyers for the defence were able to identify when and where each of the videos had been filmed.

ALSO READ: Jordi Sànchez: ‘Nothing we’ve seen in our trial justifies prison’

This is expected to be the last day of the documentary evidence phase.

On Monday the prosecutors are expected to make their closing arguments, including their proposed charges for each of the 12 politicians and activists on trial.

The defence will present their summaries on 10 June before the defendants also share their closing remarks.

LATEST UPDATE:

As the Catalan independence trial comes to an end, after three and a half months of proceedings and testimony from more than 400 witnesses, Spain’s attorney general’s office hasn’t moved an inch from its initial accusations.

The public prosecutor has confirmed the charges of rebellion against most of the defendants on trial, who have already spent more than a year in jail, and requests prison sentences of up to 25 years for organising a referendum in late 2017 and subsequently declaring independence despite Spain’s opposition.

In total, the attorney general has requested prison sentences totalling 177 years for the 12 pro-independence leaders accused, including a 25-year jail term for Oriol Junqueras, the vice president at the time of the vote and the highest-ranking official on trial.

The prosecutor has also requested 17 years in jail for the parliament speaker at the time, Carme Forcadell, as well as for activists Jordi Sànchez and Jordi Cuixart, and a 16-year jail term for former ministers Jordi Turull, Josep Rull, Dolors Bassa, Raül Romeva, and Joaquim Forn.

The solicitor general’s office, representing the Spanish government, is also standing by its initial demands of between 7 and 12 years in prison for sedition.

The sentences proposed by the solicitor general in total amount to 116.5 years in jail, although it continues to rule out the charge of rebellion.

Meanwhile, the private prosecutor representing the far-right Vox party is keeping to its initial demands of 74 years in prison for the former ministers, and 62 years for Sànchez and Cuixart.

Yet, Vox reduced its demands regarding Santi Vila, who resigned as a minister before the independence bid, reducing the charges to disobedience, which carries no prison sentence.

Catalan Trial: click here full details of those accused, the charges, and the accusers.

Click here for all articles and updates on the Catalan Trial

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 48 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 47 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 46 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 45 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 44 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 43 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 42 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 41 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 40 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 39 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 38 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 37 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 36 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 35 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 34 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 33 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 32 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 31 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 30 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 29 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 28 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 27 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 26 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 25 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 24 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 23 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 22 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 21 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 20 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 19 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 18 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 17 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 16 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 15 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 14 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 13 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 12 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 11 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 10 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 9 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 8 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 7 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 6 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 5 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 4 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 3 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 2 summary

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial: Day 1 summary

Recent Posts

Spain’s Guardia Civil detain man for allegedly promoting IS terror online

News Desk

Spanish government takes 3% stake in Telefónica after Saudi deal concerns

News Desk

Vinícius breaks down while talking about racist insults he’s suffered in Spain

News Desk

Dani Alves released after paying €1m bail, awaiting appeal of rape conviction

News Desk

Spain’s High Court halts temporary suspension order of Telegram’s services

News Desk

At least three dead after migrant dinghy runs into trouble off south of Spain

News Desk

Leave a Comment