Protesters in Barcelona demand release of jailed Catalonia leaders

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Hundreds of thousands of protesters marched in Barcelona on Sunday to demand the release of nine Catalan separatist leaders, currently in jail on charges of rebellion for backing their region’s independence drive last year.

Around 350,000 demonstrators clogged several main city arteries waving the red-and-yellow Catalan flags and chanting "Freedom for the political prisoners."

Many of the protesters also wore a yellow ribbon to show solidarity with the jailed leaders.

The demonstration was organized by two grassroots independence groups, the ANC and Omnium, whose leaders – Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Cuixart – have been in jail since October 16, awaiting trial over their role in Catalonia’s failed bid to breakaway from Spain, along with seven others.

Protesters hold placards depicting portraits of Catalan exiled and jailed politicians during a demonstration in Barcelona, Spain, April 15, 2018. /VCG Photo

Sanchez was the latest candidate put forward by Catalan lawmakers to become leader of the region but a supreme court judge last week refused to release him from jail, preventing him from standing for election.

This marked the latest of four unsuccessful attempts to elect a new leader. If one is not named before the end of May, Catalonia will be forced to call another election.

Catalonia's struggle to find a leader began after it declared independence in October. Spanish courts ruled the declaration was illegal, took direct control of the region and called for new elections.

In an interview with Catalan television TV3 broadcast late on Sunday, former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont insisted: "It's our obligation to look for a way to avoid further elections."

Protesters hold banners and wave Catalan pro-independence flags during a demonstration to support jailed leaders and politicians in Barcelona, Spain, April 15, 2018. /VCG Photo

"But there is not a zero risk of this happening because there is another party involved, and that's the Spanish government," he added.

A German court recently dismissed an extradition request for Puigdemont on grounds of rebellion and released him on bail.

He remains in Germany, where he tweeted on Sunday that the march was "a great civic and democratic demonstration".

But Spanish prosecutors last week handed over new information to Germany they hope will lead to his extradition.

The separatist leaders face charges of misuse of public funds, sedition and rebellion – which carries a prison sentence of 30 years and implies that a "violent uprising" took place – over their separatist push. ‍

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Source(s): AFP ,Reuters