The jailed pro-independence MP Jordi Sànchez believes that the Spanish Supreme Court is dragging Spain to “one of its largest shames before the international community, and especially before the European and international courts.” This, after judges in Madrid twice rejected allowing him to use his political rights as an MP in his bid to be sworn in as Catalan president in the past few weeks. He was not allowed to take part in an investiture debate in person or via video link.

UN resolution on Sànchez

This, even though the UN Human Rights Council “urged” Spain to take precautionary measures to guarantee Sànchez’s “political rights” in a resolution in March. Indeed, Sànchez said in an exclusive interview with the Catalan News Agency that the Spanish Supreme Court “continues violating the UN resolution” because it is still blocking his presidential bid. “It is obvious that the precautionary measures of the UN were obliging Spain,” he added.

European Court of Human Rights

Sànchez believes that the Spanish judges know that the image of the country is being harmed and that “in some years” the European Court of Human Rights will make some call on the judges’ actions. Yet he thinks that now, “their current mission is to literally decapitate the people they consider to be the ones responsible” for the referendum. “They think this way they will end up with what they call pro-independence challenge, but they are showing a great ignorance of the Catalan reality.” According to Sànchez, “once they have eliminated the ones now in prison and exile, they will realize that the political problem is where it was, with new leaderships.” For him, the only solution is to hold an agreed referendum on independence.