When the seven convicted men left the prison in Ledon, about 70 kilometers northwest of Barcelona, it was raining, but they were greeted under umbrellas by supporters chanting, “Independence, independence!”
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Among them were the new Prime Minister of the Regional Government of Catalonia, Pere Aragoness.
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At the same time, the two convicted women were released and each served their sentence in their prison.
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The pardon decision was approved by the Spanish government on Tuesday, and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has expressed hope that the pardon will pave the way for a “settlement”.
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The independence referendum held in 2017 by the Catalan regional government in defiance of the Madrid ban and the subsequent declaration of independence by the region have led to the deepest political and constitutional crisis since the restoration of democracy following the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975.
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Some Catalan separatist leaders fled abroad after the restoration of direct government in Madrid, but 12 of them had to go to court.
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In 2019, the Spanish Supreme Court sentenced them to severe sentences ranging from nine to 13 years in prison for participating in a referendum, finding them guilty of rioting and wasting public funds.
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The ruling provoked days of unrest in Catalonia, which often escalated into violence.
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However, the release of Catalan nationalist leaders is strongly opposed by the right-wing opposition and criticized by the separatists themselves.
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Many supporters of Catalan independence see pardon as a political manipulation and call for the full amnesty of convicts, which would also allow Catalan leaders in exile to return to their homeland.
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Experts also warn that the Sanchez decision is politically risky, pointing out that it could ease tensions, but in no way address the issue of Catalonia’s status, which has led to divisions both in Madrid-Barcelona relations and between Catalans themselves.
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A recent poll by Ipsos shows that 53% of Spaniards oppose separatist pardons, while 68% of Catalans support it.
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The Supreme Court, as well as the right-wing opposition parties, have also spoken out against the pardon.
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On June 13, tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Madrid to protest against Sanchez’s plan.
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Many Conservatives point out that Sanchez’s real goal is to stay in power, because the minority government he leads, which the Socialists form along with the far left, depends to a large extent on the parliamentary support of the Catalan parties.
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However, it is not yet clear whether the pardon of Catalan leaders will facilitate dialogue between Madrid and the Catalan regional government, which has been led since May by the moderate nationalist Aragoness, who represents the Left Republicans of Catalonia (ERC).
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Along with former Catalan regional government ministers, former regional parliament speakers and two heads of Catalan nationalist NGOs, those released include ERC leader and former deputy prime minister Urial Junceras, who was sentenced to the most severe sentence of 13 years in prison for rioting and wasting public funds.
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However, the pardon only abolished the remaining prison sentences for Catalan leaders, but the ban on holding public office remains in place.
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In addition, the Spanish Government has stated that the decision to grant clemency may be revoked in the future if the released people re-engage in efforts to achieve Catalan independence.
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In the coming weeks, Sanchez is scheduled to meet for the first time with Aragones, who is much more tolerant of talks with Madrid than his predecessor, the hard-line supporter Kim Torra, who represents the center-right nationalist coalition “Together for Catalonia” (JxCat).
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Nevertheless, Catalan nationalists are unlikely to deviate from the call for a formal independence referendum, which is categorically rejected by the Sanchez government.
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However, both Aragoness and Juncker have recently indicated that they will refrain from acting unilaterally.
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“We will do our utmost to make the negotiations a solution to the conflict in this new phase,” Aragoness said on Tuesday. “The best way to achieve [neatkarību] there is dialogue, negotiation and agreement. “
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