The nine Catalan political prisoners who have been held in prisons in the Madrid region for months are to be moved to Catalan jails in a question of days. Judge Pablo Llarena has authorized it, since he does not expect to carry out new examinations of the prisoners before their trial and now, as happens with other prisoners, it is up to Spain's interior ministry to complete the appropriate formalities so that it all happens as soon as possible. This is good news for them, their families and their friends; we have missed them in the Catalan government, in Parliament, in the civil groups ANC and Òmnium, on election nights like that of 21st December and, simply, in conversations about the hopes and dreams of a Catalonia which does not give up in the face of adversity; which resists and demonstrates a capacity for resilience that is always surprising.
After so many months in prison, so far from home, it seems, then, that transfers to Catalonia are at hand. And, amidst the great injustice they are enduring, it is the only good piece of news since the entry into prison of these honourable, democratic, honest people, loyal servants of the public who won, and cared for, more than two million votes from supporters of Catalan independence.
Having said this, let us also say that this does not for one second do justice that cancels out the great injustice that has been committed and that the transfer of the Catalan prisoners is simply an administrative step. The political step - the release of these nine prisoners while they await their trial - remains pending and it is essential that the Spanish government led by Pedro Sánchez defends this move and that the Public Prosecutor advocates for it before judge Llarena. And also that the Catalan pro-independence parties do not continue to prop up the Spanish government through their votes in the Spanish congress if it does not take steps in this direction. There is nothing that will give back the time lost to the independence leaders who are in prison or exile or reduce the ignominy of the Spanish government, but politics is a game of pacts and alliances, agreements and negotiations, and the Spanish legislature must not be sustained artificially if there is no solution to the Catalan conflict on the horizon.