Barcelona: Violent protests erupt over arrests of Catalonian leaders

Violent protests erupted over arrests of Catalonian leaders in Barcelona. The Catalan autonomy crisis flared up on October 15 as police and protesters were engaged in a violent encounter. The clashes erupted at an airport in the Spanish city of Barcelona hours. This came after the Spanish Supreme Court imprisoned nine Catalan separatist leaders over their failed efforts for succession in 2017. 

Spain's worst political crisis

The Spanish protesters came out on streets after the court convicted on charges such as civil disobedience, sedition, and misappropriation of funds. People numbering in thousands reached the area of protest by different modes of transport such as trains and cars alongside a lot of people who walked as the authorities had shut down the station afterward and a few who did not have vehicular transport. Some people were harmed as police tried to control the growing unrest at the Barcelona airport. This led to more than 60 flights being canceled due to a hostile environment.

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Catalonia's former VP, Oriol Junqueras, was indicted for sedition and abuse of public monetary assets and was awarded a jail term of 13 years. He was additionally barred from holding office for the duration of his jail term. Former Catalan Foreign Minister Raül Romeva, Labor Minister Dolors Bassa, and provincial government representative Jordi Turull were each indicted for similar charges and were given a jail term of 12 years. Complete ban to hold office till the time they did not complete their jail term was also awarded.

Carme Forcadell, a former speaker of the Catalan parliament, was sent to jail for 11 and a half years, while ex-minister Joaquim Forn, and ex regional minister Josep Rull got 10 and a half years each. Two activists, Jordi Cuixart and Jordi Sànchez, were found guilty of committing sedition and were each given nine-year prison sentences.  Three other pro-freedom activists were seen as liable for insubordination and given fines and bans from holding office.

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A four-month-long trial

The four-month trial had 422 people testify and the trial further explored the events that set off the nation's most terrible political emergency since it came back to being democratic after the demise of General Franco. After the judges' presiding over the case let out their decision, a warrant was reissued for the former president, Carles Puigdemont, who was spearheading the push for a democratic environment. The warrant stated that Puigdemont, who went into exile in Belgium to avoid arrest by the Spanish authorities, was needed for the suspicion of committing the act of sedition and misappropriation of public funds.

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(With inputs from agencies)