Dozens of intellectuals and figures from the world of culture have this Wednesday published a joint letter denouncing the "incomprehensible" pretrial detention of Catalan pro-independence leaders. Among the signatories, stand-out names include the musicians Nacho Vegas and Ismael Serrano, the writer Elvira Lindo and the actor Alberto San Juan.
In the letter, the intellectuals describe the pretrial detention as a "disproportionate" measure, highlighting that they haven't committed any type of violent act, ???. Moreover, they add that there exist "humanitarian reasons" to ask for their release and express regret for the personal harm the families of the prisoners are suffering.
They also claim that the imprisonments have caused great damage to Spain's image in Europe and worldwide, believing it to be a significant "regression of rights and freedoms". As such, the signatories call for Spanish society to "shows its rejection" of imprisonments they see as totally unjustified.
The signatories are:
Santiago Alba Rico (writer)
Miguel del Arco (playwright)
Montxo Armendáriz (director)
Bernardo Atxaga (writer)
Constantino Bértolo (editor)
Harkaitz Cano (writer)
Alfons Cervera (writer)
Fernando Clemot (writer)
José Corbacho (director)
Roberto Enríquez / Bob Pop (writer)
Mauro Entrialgo (artist)
Rafael Escudero Alday (lecturer in Philosophy of Law)
Cristina Fallarás (writer)
Carlos Fernández Liria (philosopher)
Manel Fontdevila (artist)
Javier Gallego “Crudo” (journalist)
David García Aristegui (writer and computer specialist)
Belén Gopegui (writer)
Iaio Herrero (environmental activist)
Kepa Junkera (musician)
Carlos Lema (lecturer in Philosophy of Law)
Anjel Lertxundi (writer)
Elvira Lindo (writer)
Lourdes Lucía (editor)
Aitor Merino (director)
Elvira Navarro (writer)
Rubén Ochandiano (actor)
Carolina del Olmo (writer)
Puy Oria (producer)
José Ovejero (writer)
Marc Parrot (musician)
Olga Rodríguez (journalist)
Xosé Manuel Pereiro (journalist)
Javier Pérez Royo (professor of Constitutional Law)
Edurne Portela (writer)
Javier Rebollo (director)
César Rendueles (writer)
Silvina Ribotta (lecturer in Philosophy of Law)
Jorge Riechmann (writer)
Manuel Rivas (writer)
Azucena Rodríguez (director)
María Eugenia Rodríguez Palop (lecturer in Philosophy of Law)
Isaac Rosa (writer)
Miguel Ángel Ruiz-Larrea (architect)
Alberto San Juan (actor)
Amparo Sánchez (musician)
Gervasio Sánchez (photographer)
Marta Sanz (writer)
Ismael Serrano (musician)
Silvia Sesé (editor)
Suso de Toro (writer)
Antonio de la Torre (actor)
Joaquín Urías (lecturer in Philosophy of Law)
Kirmen Uribe (writer)
Nacho Vegas (musician)
Bernardo Vergara (artist)
Thais Villas (journalist)
Anaven Zaldua (writer)
Carlos Zanón (writer)