Catalan independence trial wraps up at Spain’s Supreme Court

THE trial of 12 defendants over the 2017 Catalan independence push has closed after 52 sessions in Spain’s Supreme Court.

Defendants including former Vice President of the Catalan Generalitat Oriol Junqueras gave their final testimonies in the case this week.

Junqueras told the court that voting for Cataluña to become independent was not a ‘crime’ and called for the issue to be addressed through dialogue in future.

“I sincerely believe that the best thing for everyone would be to return the issue to the terrain of good politics which it should never have left,” Junqueras said.

The Catalan Generalitat’s former foreign relations spokesperson Raul Romeva, also standing trial, said those who chose to defend the unity of Spain ‘through force’ would not win over independence supporters.

“Whatever happens, we will continue to extend a hand, even to those who insult us,” Romeva said.

The trial has seen witnesses including former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and his ex-deputy Soraya Saenz de Santamaria testify.

Both were in office when Cataluña held the independence referendum in October 2017 declared illegal by Spain’s Constitutional Court.

The defendants face up to 25 years in prison if found guilty.