N-VA politicians give the Catalans a hearty boost

This week, the strongly-contested trial started in Madrid against 12 Catalan politicians, cabinet employees and activists. For more than 15 months, they have been separated from their friends and family, often young children, as a result of their detention under remand. They are on trial for organising a democratic vote, because they are standing up for their political convictions, for their peaceful political commitment. The contrast between the dignity of the 900 peaceful voters and the Spanish police brutality could not be greater.

Meanwhile, it still remains deafeningly silent at the European Commission. Flemish MP Jan Van Esbroeck and an extensive N-VA delegation made their way to Schuman Square in Brussels for a solidarity initiative organised by the Catalan citizens’ movement ANC: “It is a disgrace that in 2019 a European member state still has political prisoners. Juncker and co keep looking the other way, and their silence makes them complicit in this witch-hunt of democratically elected persons. There is not a single democrat who can accept this. That’s why we are supporting this action.”

Raising awareness of injustice

MEP Mark Demesmaeker went to Madrid to be present in person at the start of the trial. “With my presence, I want to show that we are not taking our eyes off this democratic injustice.” MP Peter Luykx, for his part, supported the demonstrations of solidarity in Barcelona. “We want to give the political prisoners a hearty boost in recognition of their peaceful struggle for freedom and self-determination. We must keep raising awareness of the injustice of their imprisonment. Until they are free.”

N-VA Vice-Chairman Lorin Parys also took part in the solidarity initiative. He is a good friend of the Catalan former minister Antoni Comin, who resides in Belgium, and explained the situation on television.