The chair of the All-Party Group on Catalona in the UK Parliament, Hywel Williams, said the British government “must stand up to Spain’s human rights abuses” on the jailed leaders, whose trial starts on Tuesday in the Supreme Court, in Madrid.

Williams, MP for Plaid Cymru, reacted to the sessions kickoff.

“Today 12 Catalan leaders go on trial in Spain’s Supreme Court, facing the medieval-sounding charges of rebellion and sedition. Their supposed crime – organising a democratic referendum on Catalan independence in October 2017,” said Williams in a statement.

Jailed leaders to face “hostile judges”

“Today, they will head into a dock, face a hostile set of judges, knowing that they will likely grow old behind bars for simply following the wishes of those who elected them,” he said.

Williams also asked for Theresa May’s government to foster dialogue between Madrid and Barcelona.

UK should “encourage” dialogue

“Dialogue is required and that is what the British Government should be urging its Spanish counter-parts to begin. Instead through their support for the Spanish state, the British Government are complicit in the prosecution of the 12 political prisoners,” he stated.

“I urge them to use whatever influence they have left to encourage a democratic and peaceful solution to this crisis in Catalonia.”