Catalan politicians' jail terms unacceptable, says Elin Jones

The sentencing of nine Catalan politicians to between nine and 13 years in prison is "unacceptable", the assembly's presiding officer has said.

The separatists were convicted of sedition over their role in an illegal independence referendum in 2017.

Elin Jones said "imprisoning people for acting democratically, peacefully" within the EU was "unbelievable".

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has said the leaders were imprisoned for criminal conduct.

The nine, who denied the charges, were sentenced to between nine and 13 years in prison at Spain's Supreme Court on Monday.

• Catalonia crisis in 300 words

Speaking on BBC Radio Cymru's Post Cyntaf programme, Ms Jones called on the international community to send a strong message to Spain, following the imprisonment of nine Catalan politicians, over their role in an independence referendum in 2017, that was considered illegal.

One of the nine to be sentenced is Carme Forcadell, ex-speaker of the Catalan parliament, who Ms Jones visited in prison last year, while she was awaiting trial.

"The injustice by the Spanish courts and state is unbelievable - incarcerating democrats, people who were elected to do their work representing the people of Catalonia - people, like me, and other members of the Senedd, who do our work representing people here in Wales."

Elin Jones: "These are ordinary people, they haven't been violent in any way"

Calling on the international community to "respond sternly", Ms Jones said: "They should tell Spain that imprisoning people for acting democratically, peacefully, is completely unacceptable, and that to do so within the European Union is unbelievable, when we've based our whole society on democracy, and on the basis that people have the right to self-determination.

"These are ordinary people, they haven't been violent in any way.

"Carme Forcadell is a mother and a grandmother. She has already been in prison for 18 months without trial, and now she faces another 11 years in prison.

"She does exactly the same job as I do every day - I'm about to go into the Senedd now to preside. That's what she did, and that's why she's in prison.

"It's completely unforgivable of the Spanish Government to allow this, and it's important that the whole world sends that message."

'Repression and revenge'

Later, in Tuesday's First Minister's Questions, Mark Drakeford said it was a "matter of concern" to see "democratically elected politicians who have gone peacefully about their responsibilities" being dealt with under the criminal law rather than "dialogue and discussion".

After the ruling a new arrest warrant was issued for former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont, who fled to Belgium in October 2017 to avoid prosecution.

He told a news conference Catalonians were victims of a "strategy of repression and revenge".

Prosecutors argued that the unilateral declaration of independence was an attack on the Spanish state and accused some of those involved of a serious act of rebellion.

They also said that separatist leaders had misused public funds while organising the 2017 referendum.