CATALONIA Communiqué of the Independent Democratic Workers Party (POID) of France          Their Conviction Is Shameful:
Free the Catalan Leaders Now! Respect for the Right of the Catalan People 
to Free Themselves from the Francoist Monarchy
 and to Establish their Catalan Republic!

The Independent Democratic Workers Party (POID) of France expresses its strongest protest against the verdict of 9 years to 13 years in prison against the Catalan leaders, some of whom have been imprisoned for more than two years. 

This verdict is a perfect expression of the nature of the monarchy’s institutions, its 1978 Constitution, and its judicial and police systems, directly inherited from Franco’s dictatorship. 

What is the alleged « crime » committed by those who have been sentenced, other than to have supported the will expressed by the majority of the Catalan people in the referendum of October 1, 2017, to free themselves from the Francoist monarchy, and to establish their Catalan Republic, the first step towards the Free Union of the Republics of Spain? 

Shame on Pedro Sanchez, leader of the Spanish « Socialist » Party and current president of the government, who has just justified the sentence, daring to claim that « no one is judged for their ideas, » and affirming that the Spanish State « is one of the best democracies in the world. » 

Shame on Macron, Merkel and others, who for the past two years have supported the repression, whether led by Rajoy or Sanchez. 

president, Jean-Claude Juncker, who in November 2017 declared: « I do not find that Spain is violating the rule of law. … I think that those who do not respect the Spanish Constitution [the supporters of the Catalan Republic — Editor’s Note] are violating the law, » adding, « The solution lies in Spain’s internal constitutional and judicial order. » 

As soon as this verdict was announced in Catalonia, the people, the workers, the university and high-school students, rose up in huge rallies against this ignoble verdict (in Barcelona, Tarragona, Girona, Lleida, Manresa etc.), blocking roads and railway stations, and occupying Barcelona’s airport. … Across the Spanish State, as in the pensioners’ rallies this morning in the Basque Country, workers of all nationalities waved the Catalan flag in solidarity. 

As a supporter of democracy, and therefore of the right of peoples to self-determination, the POID has sided with the Catalan people, their right to decide for themselves and their right to constitute their Republic, against the repression of the Francoist monarchy. 

The POID is determined to continue to act in unity for the immediate release of all political prisoners! 

Shame on the European Commission and its 

Montreuil, October 14, 2019