Catalan president Quim Torra has asserted this Sunday, the day before he goes on trial in the Catalan High Court for alleged disobedience, that he will not defend himself, but rather will accuse the Spanish state.The prosecution case centres on Torra's failure to follow a judicial instruction to remove elements from the Catalan government palace's façade: a "Freedom Political Prisoners" banner and a large yellow ribbon - used to show solidarity with Catalonia's jailed leaders, but deemed not to be politically "neutral".
Taking part in a "yellow lunch" fundraiser with 200 people in the locality of Bescanó, Torra said that he in relation to the accusation, he had "fulfilled his duty as president of the Catalans", that is, "to defend the rights and freedoms" of his compatriots. "I will not defend myself tomorrow, I will accuse the state for having violated rights, both mine and those of all Catalans," said Torra.
In addition, the president commented on the oxymoronic nature of the phrase "Spanish justice": he said it consists of "two incompatible terms" and he noted that, with regard to legal developments affecting the independence movement, "the only hopeful news always, always comes from Europe."
Finally, Torra ironically remembered with surprise that a year and a half ago he was sworn in to his position as the President of the Generalitat of Catalonia: "Who would have said it, because a year and a half has gone by. All sorts of things have happened."