Parliament to submit "formal complaint" to EU, UN and The Hague over Forcadell case

BarcelonaJxSí’s parliamentary group has called on Parliament to file a "formal complaint" with the Council of Europe, the UN Human Rights Council, the EU Commissioner for Justice, the European Court of Human Rights and the International Court of Justice in The Hague over the legal proceedings brought against pro-independence elected officials. These include the two cases that have been brought against Carme Forcadell and those against the four members of the Parliamentary Bureau.

The proposal, which is to be voted on during next week's plenary, is intended to bring to the attention of international bodies violations of the freedom of expression and the principle of inviolability "should the Kingdom of Spain infringe upon these principles". The motion warns of Spain’s "democratic regressions", citing a report by Catalonia’s Ombudsman which highlights the "weakening of the separation of powers" in Spain.

It is likely that the motion will succeed since it only needs the CUP’s votes, some of whose elected officials also have cases pending against them as a result of the independence process, such as the Mayor of Berga, Montse Venturós, for having flown a separatist flag from the town hall.

Support for the referendum and condemnation of "the use of force"

The initiative also includes calls for "international" support for the independence cause and, specifically, to persuade the Spanish government to facilitate the holding of a referendum.

JxSí want parliament to condemn the "explicit threats about the use of force" to prevent the referendum made by several representatives of the Spanish government in recent weeks. Although Rajoy’s ministers have attempted to soften the tone somewhat, the motion refers to statements such as those made by Defence Minister María Dolores de Cospedal, who likened Puigdemont’s plan to a coup and declared that the Spanish government is "strong enough" to prevent it.