The Supreme Court endorses the Government’s pardons for those convicted of the process

2023-09-14 19:38:13

Setback for Ciudadanos and Vox. The Supreme Court (TS) endorses the Government’s pardons for those convicted of the process. The Fifth Section of the Contentious-Administrative Chamber has rejected this Thursday the appeals against the pardons granted in 2021 to the former president of the Catalan National Assembly (ANC) Jordi Sànchez and the former president of Òmnium Cultural Jordi Cuixart.

The high court bases its decision on the lack of legitimation of the political parties alleged by the State Attorney’s Office, estimating that only those who prove they were directly harmed by the release of the prisoners can be. Jordi Sànchez and Jordi Cuixart were convicted of sedition. After the reform of the crime, the TS convicted them of aggravated public disorder.

The Supreme Court justices have more pending appeals and for now have not ruled on those presented by the Popular Party. More resources that affect Oriol Junqueras, Raúl Romeva, Jordi Turull and Dolores Bassa. Likewise, in the past it has already filed appeals against the pardons of the former president of the Parliament Carme Forcadell and the former councilors Joaquim Forn and Josep Rull, after the sedition reform.

This decision of the Supreme Court comes with the amnesty debate on the surface. The Popular Party has announced a protest in Madrid because they say that Pedro Sánchez is negotiating an amnesty with the independence movement. Meanwhile, the PSOE says that they will act and negotiate under the framework of the Constitution. For its part, the independence movement maintains its premise.

The appellants have no legitimacy

The appeals presented by Vox have been unanimously rejected and the one presented by Ciudadanos has been rejected by a majority. Considers that the appellants are not entitled to oppose the pardons granted by the coalition government in 2021. Only those who can prove that they have been directly harmed by the release of the prisoners can go to the Supreme Court.

With the investiture debate just around the corner and with Alberto Núñez Feijóo still not getting enough support, the PSOE considers that the endorsement of the high court paves the way to close the open wound about what happened on October 1 . This was stated by the acting Minister of the Presidency, Félix Bolaños.

Bolaños has explained that the pardons for two people convicted by the process were “something that many people did not understand” at the time. However, now “everyone knows” that it was a “correct and useful decision that served for coexistence and for healing wounds in Catalonia.”