Letter on Amnesty

signatories

Brussels, 29 April 2021

Dear President of the Government of Spain, Mr Pedro Sánchez

Dear Third Vice-President of the Government of Spain and Minister of Labour and Social Economy, Ms Yolanda Diaz

Following the October 2017 independence referendum in Catalonia, the Spanish Supreme Court convicted twelve Catalan high-ranking politicians and civil society leaders for their alleged involvement in its organisation. Nine of them are serving between nine and thirteen years in prison having been sentenced for sedition. All convictions together add up to one-hundred years in prison. Seven other high-ranking politicians have gone into exile to Belgium, Switzerland and Scotland. Furthermore, since the referendum, several hundred Catalan citizens, mayors, councillors, civil servants and activists, have had or still have charges and lawsuits related to the independence referendum process open against them. Recently, yet another lawsuit was recently brought by the state prosecutor against the former Speaker of the Catalan Parliament and members of the bureau for allowing parliamentary debates and motions on self-determination.

After monitoring the trial and reviewing the judgement, Amnesty International observed that the interpretation of the crime of sedition by the Supreme Court contravened the principle of legality and permits the imposition of disproportionate restrictions. In 2020, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions called for the release of Catalan independence leaders.

Moreover, the results of the elections to the Catalan Parliament that took place on 14 February 2021, showed the remarkable resilience of the pro-independence movement with 52% of votes in favour.

For all the above-mentioned reasons, the undersigned Members of the European Parliament and national Parliaments, believe that the time has come to take courageous steps towards normality and the resolution of the conflict by purely democratic means. However, no normalization can proceed with pro-independence leaders in prison or exile and without ending the persecution those many independence supporters still facing charges.

Therefore, we call on to you to support and promote an Amnesty –with all the required legal and institutional changes– as the outset from which to enable a meaningful and comprehensive process of dialogue and negotiation for a political solution to the conflict, based on democratic principles, mutual respect and fully respecting the democratic rights of the Catalan people.

Yours faithfully,

Members of the European Parliament

1AlviinaAlametsäGreens- EFAFinland
2FrançoisAlfonsiGreens- EFAFrance
3RasmusAndresenGreens- EFAGermany
4MargreteAukenGreens- EFADenmark
5PernandoBarrenaGUE-NGLSpain
6IzaskunBilbaoRenew EuropeSpain
7BenoîtBiteauGreens- EFAFrance
8GeertBourgeoisECRBelgium
9MilanBrglezS&DSlovenia
10DamienCarêmeGreens- EFAFrance
11LeïlaChaibiGUE-NGLFrance
12ToniComínNISpain
13DavidCormandGreens- EFAFrance
14RosaD’AmatoGreens- EFAItaly
15ClareDallyGUE-NGLIreland
16GwendolineDelbos-CorfieldGreens- EFAFrance
17KarimaDelliGreens- EFAFrance
18OzlemDemirelGUE-NGLGermany
19PascalDurandRenew EuropeFrance
20ClaudeGruffatGreens- EFAFrance
21FranciscoGuerreiroGreens- EFAPortugal
22JoséGusmaoGUE/NGLPortugal
23MartinHäuslingGreens- EFAGermany
24HeidiHautalaGreens- EFAFinland
25YannickJadotGreens- EFAFrance
26AssitaKankoECRBelgium
27KateřinaKonečnáGUE-NGLCzech Republic
28ChrisMacManusGUE-NGLIreland
29MarisaMatiasGUE/NGLPortugal
30SaraMatthieuGreens- EFABelgium
31TillyMetzGreens- EFALuxembourg
32SilviaModigGUE-NGLFinland
33JuttaPaulusGreens- EFAGermany
34PiernicolaPediciniGreens- EFAItaly
35Kira MariePeter-HansenGreens- EFADenmark
36ClaraPonsatíNISpain
37CarlesPuigdemontNISpain
38DianaRibaGreens- EFASpain
39MichèleRivasiGreens- EFAFrance
40CarolineRooseGreens- EFAFrance
41MounirSatouriGreens- EFAFrance
42Ivan ViliborSinčićNICroatia
43JordiSoléGreens- EFASpain
44MarieToussaintGreens- EFAFrance
45MiguelUrbanGUE/NGLSpain
46JohanVan Overtveldt ECRBelgium
47NikolajVillumsenGUE-NGLDenmark
48MickWallaceGUE-NGLIreland
49SalimaYenbouGreens- EFAFrance
50TatjanaŽdanokaGreens- EFALatvia

Members of national Parliaments

51ChrisAndrewsSinn FeinIreland
52LynnBoylanSinn FeinIreland
53JohnBradySinn FeinIreland
54MartinBrowneSinn FeinIreland
55PatBuckleySinn FeinIreland
56MattCarthySinn FeinIreland
57SorcaClarkeSinn FeinIreland
58RoseConway-WalshSinn FeinIreland
59RéadaCroninSinn FeinIreland
60SeánCroweSinn FeinIreland
61DavidCullinaneSinn FeinIreland
62PaDalySinn FeinIreland
63PearseDohertySinn FeinIreland
64PaulDonnellySinn FeinIreland
65DessieEllisSinn FeinIreland
66MairéadFarrellSinn FeinIreland
67KathleenFunchionSinn FeinIreland
68ThomasGouldSinn FeinIreland
69JohnnyGuirkeSinn FeinIreland
70MartinKennySinn FeinIreland
71ClaireKerraneSinn FeinIreland
72PádraigMac LochlainnSinn FeinIreland
73Mary LouMcDonaldSinn FeinIreland
74DeniseMitchellSinn FeinIreland
75ImeldaMunsterSinn FeinIreland
76JohnnyMythenSinn FeinIreland
77EoinÓ BroinSinn FeinIreland
78DonnchadhÓ LaoghaireSinn FeinIreland
79RuairíÓ MurchúSinn FeinIreland
80AengusÓ SnodaighSinn FeinIreland
81LouiseO’ReillySinn FeinIreland
82DarrenO’RourkeSinn FeinIreland
83ThomasPringleIndependentIreland
84MauriceQuinlivanSinn FeinIreland
85PatriciaRyanSinn FeinIreland
86BrianStanleySinn FeinIreland
87PaulineTullySinn FeinIreland
88MarkWardSinn FeinIreland
89Violet-AnneWynneSinn FeinIreland
90ÓrfhlaithBegleySinn FeinUK
91TonyBerkeleyLabourUK
92MickeyBradySinn FeinUK
93AmyCallaghanSNPUK
94SarahChampionLabourUK
95DouglasChapmanSNPUK
96RonnieCowanSNPUK
97AllanDoransSNPUK
98MargaretFerrierIndependentUK
99JohnFinucaneSinn FeinUK
100PatriciaGibsonSNPUK
101MichelleGildernewSinn FeinUK
102NealeHanveySNPUK
103ChrisHazzardSinn FeinUK
104DrewHendrySNPUK
105GloriaHooperConservative PartyUK
106BenLakePlaid CymruUK
107PaulineLathamConservative PartyUK
108CarolineLucasGreen PartyUK
109KennyMacAskillSNPUK
110PaulMaskeySinn FeinUK
111AnneMcLaughlinSNPUK
112JohnMcNallySNPUK
113FrancieMolloySinn FeinUK
114GavinNewlandsSNPUK
115LizSaville RobertsPlaid CymruUK
116TommySheppardSNPUK
117AllisonThewlissSNPUK
118PhilippaWhitfordSNPUK
119HywelWilliamsPlaid CymruUK
120Jean-FélixAcquavivaLibertés et TerritoiresFrance
121GuyBenarrocheLibertés et TerritoiresFrance
122EstherBenbassaLibertés et TerritoiresFrance
123MichelCastellaniLibertés et TerritoiresFrance
124AnnieChapelierAgir ensembleFrance
125Paul-AndréColombaniLibertés et TerritoiresFrance
126ÉricCoquerelLa France InsoumiseFrance
127Moniquede MarcoLibertés et TerritoiresFrance
128Jenniferde TemmermanLibertés et TerritoiresFrance
129ThomasDossusLibertés et TerritoiresFrance
130FrédériqueDumasLibertés et TerritoiresFrance
131ElsaFaucillonGauche démocrate et républicaineFrance
132GuillaumeGontardLibertés et TerritoiresFrance
133YannickKerlogotLa République En MarcheFrance
134François-MichelLambertLibertés et TerritoiresFrance
135JeanLassalleLibertés et TerritoiresFrance
136PaulMolacLibertés et TerritoiresFrance
137SebastienNadotLibertés et TerritoiresFrance
138BertrandPancherLibertés et TerritoiresFrance
139RaymondePoncetEcologie, Solidarité et TerritoiresFrance
140MurielRessiguierLa France InsoumiseFrance
141DanielSalmonLibertés et TerritoiresFrance
142PaulToussaint ParigiLibertés et TerritoiresFrance
143MartineWonnerLibertés et TerritoiresFrance
144OudekkiLooneEstonian Centre PartyEstonia
145PeterBuysroggeNVABelgium
146PeterDe RooverNVABelgium
147SophieDe WitNVABelgium
148MarkDemesmaekerNVABelgium
149KathleenDepoorterNVABelgium
150JoyDonnéNVABelgium
151TheoFranckenNVABelgium
152SanderLoonesNVABelgium
153WouterRaskinNVABelgium
154AnneleenVan BossuyNVABelgium
155WimVan Der DonckNVABelgium
156KristofCalvoGroenBelgium
157BarbaraCreemersGroenBelgium
158SamuelCogolatiEcoloBelgium
159WouterDe VriendtGroenBelgium
160EvaPlatteauGroenBelgium
161DieterVan BeseinGroenBelgium
162StefaanVan HeckeGroenBelgium
163EvitaWillaertGroenBelgium
164CharlesMargueDéi GréngLuxembourg
165MarcBaumDéi LenkLuxembourg
166DavidWagnerDéi LenkLuxembourg
167StéphanieEmpainDéi GréngLuxembourg
168AlbertLanièceUnion ValdotaineItaly
169AndrejHunkoDie LinkeGermany
170ŻaklinNastićDie LinkeGermany
171DietherDehmDie LinkeGermany
172MiguelCosta MatosPartido SocialistaPortugal
173José MariaCardosoBloco de EsquerdaPortugal
174FabíolaCardosoBloco de EsquerdaPortugal
175SandraCunhaBloco de EsquerdaPortugal
176CatarinaMartinsBloco de EsquerdaPortugal
177LuísMonteiroBloco de EsquerdaPortugal
178IsabelPiresBloco de EsquerdaPortugal
179José ManuelPurezaBloco de EsquerdaPortugal
180AscensoSimõesPartido SocialistaPortugal
181JoãoVasconcelosBloco de EsquerdaPortugal
182AlexandraVieiraBloco de EsquerdaPortugal
183MikkoKärnäCenter PartyFinland
184JiříDolejšCommunist Party of Bohemia and MoraviaCzech Republic
185StanislavGrospičCommunist Party of Bohemia and MoraviaCzech Republic
186PavelKováčikCommunist Party of Bohemia and MoraviaCzech Republic
187LeoLuzarCommunist Party of Bohemia and MoraviaCzech Republic
188KvetaMatušovskáCommunist Party of Bohemia and MoraviaCzech Republic
189ZdeněkOndráčekCommunist Party of Bohemia and MoraviaCzech Republic
190DanielPawlasCommunist Party of Bohemia and MoraviaCzech Republic
191MariePěnčíkováCommunist Party of Bohemia and MoraviaCzech Republic
192IvoPojeznýCommunist Party of Bohemia and MoraviaCzech Republic
193JiříValentaCommunist Party of Bohemia and MoraviaCzech Republic
194MiloslavaVostráCommunist Party of Bohemia and MoraviaCzech Republic
195JuanCárdenasMovimiento Revolución CiudadanaEcuador
196EstherCuestaMovimiento Revolución CiudadanaEcuador
197LilianaDuránMovimiento Revolución CiudadanaEcuador
198DiegoGarcíaMovimiento Revolución CiudadanaEcuador
199GabrielaRivadeneiraMovimiento Revolución CiudadanaEcuador
200CarmenRivadeneiraMovimiento Revolución CiudadanaEcuador
201AlejandroNavarro BrainPaís ProgresistaChile
202NidiaDiazFMNLEl Salvador
203DanielCaggianiFrente AmplioUruguay
204LauroMelendezFrente AmplioUruguay
205HişyarÖzsoyHDPTurkey
206PervinBuldanHDPTurkey
207MithatSancarHDPTurkey
208NimetullahErdoğmuşHDPTurkey
209FeleknasUcaHDPTurkey
210SaruhanOluçHDPTurkey
211Meral DanışBeştaşHDPTurkey
212EbruGünayHDPTurkey
213Tülay HatimoğullarıOruçHDPTurkey
214SerpilKemalbayHDPTurkey
215BerdanÖztürkHDPTurkey
216Ayşe AcarBaşaranHDPTurkey
217GülistanKılıç KoçyiğitHDPTurkey
218SaliheAydenizHDPTurkey
219XavierBarsalou-DuvalBloc QuébécoisCanada
220MarioBeaulieuBloc QuébécoisCanada
221StéphaneBergeronBloc QuébécoisCanada
222SylvieBérubéBloc QuébécoisCanada
223Yves-FrançoisBlanchetBloc QuébécoisCanada
224MaximeBlanchette-JoncasBloc QuébécoisCanada
225MichelBoudrias,Bloc QuébécoisCanada
226AlexisBrunelle-DuceppeBloc QuébécoisCanada
227LouiseChabotBloc QuébécoisCanada
228MartinChampouxBloc QuébécoisCanada
229LouiseCharbonneauBloc QuébécoisCanada
230ClaudeDeBellefeuilleBloc QuébécoisCanada
231CarolineDesbiensBloc QuébécoisCanada
232LucDesiletsBloc QuébécoisCanada
233Rhéal ÉloiFortinBloc QuébécoisCanada
234Marie-HélèneGaudreauBloc QuébécoisCanada
235MarilèneGillBloc QuébécoisCanada
236AndréanneLaroucheBloc QuébécoisCanada
237SébastienLemireBloc QuébécoisCanada
238SimonMarcilBloc QuébécoisCanada
239KristinaMichaudBloc QuébécoisCanada
240ChristineNormandinBloc QuébécoisCanada
241MoniquePauzéBloc QuébécoisCanada
242YvesPerronBloc QuébécoisCanada
243LouisePlamondonBloc QuébécoisCanada
244Simon-PierreSavard-TremblayBloc QuébécoisCanada
245MarioSimardBloc QuébécoisCanada
246GabrielSte-MarieBloc QuébécoisCanada
247LucThériaultBloc QuébécoisCanada
248AlainTherrienBloc QuébécoisCanada
249DenisTrudelBloc QuébécoisCanada
250JulieVignolaBloc QuébécoisCanada
251RósaBjörk BrynjólfsdóttirLeft Green MovementIceland

Further signatories

MartinaAndersonSinn FeinMember of the Northern Ireland Assembly
CaoimheArchibaldSinn FeinMember of the Northern Ireland Assembly
CathalBoylanSinn FeinMember of the Northern Ireland Assembly
NicolaBroganSinn FeinMember of the Northern Ireland Assembly
LindaDillonSinn FeinMember of the Northern Ireland Assembly
JemmaDolanSinn FeinMember of the Northern Ireland Assembly
SinéadEnnisSinn FeinMember of the Northern Ireland Assembly
ÓrlaithíFlynnSinn FeinMember of the Northern Ireland Assembly
ColmGildernewSinn FeinMember of the Northern Ireland Assembly
DeirdreHargeySinn FeinMember of the Northern Ireland Assembly
DeclanKearneySinn FeinMember of the Northern Ireland Assembly
GerryKellySinn FeinMember of the Northern Ireland Assembly
LizKimminsSinn FeinMember of the Northern Ireland Assembly
SeánLynchSinn FeinMember of the Northern Ireland Assembly
DeclanMcAleerSinn FeinMember of the Northern Ireland Assembly
FraMcCannSinn FeinMember of the Northern Ireland Assembly
PhilipMcGuiganSinn FeinMember of the Northern Ireland Assembly
MaolíosaMcHughSinn FeinMember of the Northern Ireland Assembly
KarenMullanSinn FeinMember of the Northern Ireland Assembly
ConorMurphySinn FeinMember of the Northern Ireland Assembly
CarálNí ChuilínSinn FeinMember of the Northern Ireland Assembly
JohnO’DowdSinn FeinMember of the Northern Ireland Assembly
MichelleO’NeillSinn FeinMember of the Northern Ireland Assembly
EmmaRoganSinn FeinMember of the Northern Ireland Assembly
PatSheehanSinn FeinMember of the Northern Ireland Assembly
EmmaSheerinSinn FeinMember of the Northern Ireland Assembly
AllessiaClaesNVAMember of the Flemish Parliament
ArnoutCoelNVAMember of the Flemish Parliament
CathyCoudyserNVAMember of the Flemish Parliament
Piet,De BruynNVAMember of the Flemish Parliament
InezDe ConinckNVAMember of the Flemish Parliament
AnnickDe RidderNVAMember of the Flemish Parliament
MaartenDe VeusterNVAMember of the Flemish Parliament
MaaikeDe VreeseNVAMember of the Flemish Parliament
BartDe WeverNVAMember of the Flemish Parliament
KarolienGrosemansNVAMember of the Flemish Parliament
AndriesGryffroyNVAMember of the Flemish Parliament
SofieJoosenNVAMember of the Flemish Parliament
KathleenKrekelsNVAMember of the Flemish Parliament
BertMaertensNVAMember of the Flemish Parliament
MariusMeremansNVAMember of the Flemish Parliament
PhilippeMuytersNVAMember of the Flemish Parliament
JorisNachtergaeleNVAMember of the Flemish Parliament
LorinParysNVAMember of the Flemish Parliament
AxelRonseNVAMember of the Flemish Parliament
ElkeSleursNVAMember of the Flemish Parliament
SarahSmeyersNVAMember of the Flemish Parliament
NadiaSminateNVAMember of the Flemish Parliament
AnnabelTavernierNVAMember of the Flemish Parliament
CieltjeVan AchterNVAMember of the Brussels Parliament
KrisVan DijckNVAMember of the Flemish Parliament
PaulVan MiertNVAMember of the Flemish Parliament
WilfriedVandaeleNVAMember of the Flemish Parliament
MathiasVanden BorreNVAMember of the Brussels Parliament
KarlVanlouweNVAMember of the Flemish Parliament
KatjaVerheyenNVAMember of the Flemish Parliament
GillesVerstraetenNVAMember of the Brussels Parliament
JoëlArsenauParti QuébécoisMember of the Quebec Assembly
PascalBérubéParti QuébécoisMember of the Quebec Assembly
SylvainGaudreaultParti QuébécoisMember of the Quebec Assembly
VéroniqueHivonParti QuébécoisMember of the Quebec Assembly
MartinaOuelletParti QuébécoisMember of the Quebec Assembly
MégannePerry MélançonParti QuébécoisMember of the Quebec Assembly
LorraineRichardParti QuébécoisMember of the Quebec Assembly
SylvainRoyParti QuébécoisMember of the Quebec Assembly
SylvainLevesqueCoalition Avenir QuebecMember of the Quebec Assembly
CatherineDorionQuébec solidaireMember of the Quebec Assembly
AndrésFontecillaQuébec solidaireMember of the Quebec Assembly
RubaGhazalQuébec solidaireMember of the Quebec Assembly
ChristineLabrieQuébec solidaireMember of the Quebec Assembly
AlexandreLeducQuébec solidaireMember of the Quebec Assembly
ÉmiliseLessard-TherrienQuébec solidaireMember of the Quebec Assembly
VincentMarissalQuébec solidaireMember of the Quebec Assembly
ManonMasséQuébec solidaireMember of the Quebec Assembly
GabrielNadeau-DuboisQuébec solidaireMember of the Quebec Assembly
SolZanettiQuébec solidaireMember of the Quebec Assembly