The verdict has not yet been settled, yet the Spanish media are already reporting on sentences from appeals to court sources: the Supreme Court of Spain is therefore planning to sentence the Catalan separatist leaders to prison terms of up to 15 years.
The verdict should be announced on Monday, it says, among others, "El Mundo" and "El Pais". A total of twelve Catalan politicians are charged, nine of them are still in custody. Among other things, they are charged with embezzling public funds for an illegal independence referendum in autumn 2017.
However, another criminal charge is crucial: If defendants are found guilty of "rebellion", they would face jail terms ranging from 16 to 25 years - as the prosecution had demanded for several of the Catalan politicians. On the other hand, if the judges decide that it was just a riot, the maximum penalty is 15 years.
The independence referendum in 2017 and the political disputes over it had led to demonstrations in Spain for months. Also around the proceedings before the Supreme Court there had always been strong protests.
AFP
Protesters in Barcelona call for the release of Oriol Junqueras in September 2018
In fact, the judgment expected on Monday probably confirms only the rebellion allegation, told the news agency Reuters. However, a spokeswoman for the Supreme Court refused on Saturday to comment on the information.
