Roberto Saviano and Erri de Luca demand release "of Catalans jailed for their political views"

Barcelona"We, citizens of Europe, demand the immediate release of the Catalan citizens imprisoned for their political views”, demand writers Erri de Luca, Daniel Pennac, Roberto Saviano and Jean Marie Laclavetine. In a letter published today in the French newspaper Le Monde, the four authors say that the imprisoned politicians are accused of "rebellion and subversion" but that "they have never held a stone in their hands".

Although the writers do not want to position themselves either for or against the independence of Catalonia, they consider it necessary "to defend citizens of Europe imprisoned for being true to their word". For this reason, the authors demand the release of the prisoners and the withdrawal of legal charges. "Catalonia is a European territory and we live in its laboratory of democracy. The act of detaining representatives chosen by the people and threatening them with admonitory convictions for their political ideas must be rejected by Europe", say the writers, who conclude that "opinions and convictions should be discussed, not imprisoned".