Catalonia’s biggest self-incrimination campaign

Marcel Mauri, vice president of Òmnium Cultural, an organisation created to promote the Catalan language and culture, has launched the ”biggest” self-incrimination campaign in the history of Catalonia. This is the latest action from the independence camp following the conviction of nine political leaders for their role behind the 2017 referendum, including Jordi Cuixart, president of Òmnium Cultural. Òmnium argues that if the Spanish Supreme Court has condemned the nine leaders, they should condemn the other two million people who voted as well.

In a statement to the media, Mauri argued that if political leaders were condemned for ”peacefully protesting on September 20 and voting on October 1” this should also be applied to more than two million people who voted in the referendum in 2017. He reminded that the political leaders ”did not take their decisions alone” and were accompanied by other organisations and citizens.

Hundreds of people have backed the campaign, queueing outside the gates of the City of Justice since 9am on Monday morning to present a letter of self-incrimination to the court of law. The situation has been monitored by Catalan police, who are currently making sure that those presenting do so one at a time.

10.000 downloads

Mauri stated that the actions of these people were ”personal” and actions of ”solidarity,” and it was a reiteration that the president of Òmnium Cultural, Jordi Cuixart, as well as the other political leaders convicted for their role in the 2017 referendum, were not considered in any way as having committed a crime. ”We are also here to accompany the political prisoners with this personal gesture of commitment” he said, after explaining that over 10,000 people had downloaded the form for self-incrimination.

”We want it to be massive. In the coming days more people will keep joining” said Mauri, who has admitted that he does not know if there will be penal consequences for people who join the campaign. He said that those participating had to download the form, fill it in, sign it and present it to the nearest judge. He described it as a fast process, but also one that could be slower in certain areas because only 25 people per day can present the letter in some courts.

He once again called for the Spanish state to react and confront the political conflict, after a turbulent two weeks in Catalonia following the release of the guilty verdict. Most recently, Òmnium Cultural, organized a mass protest in Barcelona on Saturday, October 26 calling for the freedom of the political leaders.

Mauri invites Marlaska to apologise

Finally, the vice president of the organization has criticised the Interior Minister of the Spanish government, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, for comparing recent protests in Catalonia to the situation in the Basque terrorist conflict.

Mauri has said that the minister has not only has ”insulted” the independence movement, but also victims of terrorism. He therefore has urged Marlaska to apologize and to hold those responsible for the police action in recent days in Catalonia accountable.