Amnesty International is calling for the release of Jordi Sànchez and Jordi Cuixart and criticizes the Spanish Supreme Court rulings that sentenced Catalan pro-independence leaders to a total of 100 years in prison. In particular, the human rights organization believes Spanish justice has made a dangerous error in its interpretation of the crime of sedition. On Friday, Amnesty announced that it would present its findings on the court ruling next Tuesday, November 19th.
For the moment, top Amnesty International officials have made statements and the human rights organization published the report in French on its Swiss branch's website, only to remove it shortly afterwards. Amnesty plans to officially present its conclusions at a press conference on Tuesday.
#Catalogne | Jordi Sànchez et Jordi Cuixart doivent être libérés immédiatement et leurs condamnations pour sédition annulées, a déclaré Daniel Joloy, conseiller principal Droit et politique à Amnesty International.https://t.co/jPUFq7O7qC
— Collectif Wallon pour la Catalogne. (@WalloCat) November 15, 2019
"Although our analysis has not revealed any evidence to conclude that the whole trial was unfair, it is clear that the Supreme Court has made an interpretation which is too wide of the crime of sedition, and this entails the criminalization of legitimate acts of protest," said Amnesty International's principal director of administration, law and politics, Daniel Joloy.
In addition, Amnesty considers that "the definition of the crime of sedition of the Spanish penal code is imprecise and that the interpretation of this definition is too general and dangerous."