The NGO Amnesty International has sent a letter to Jordi Cuixart and Jordi Sànchez in Lledoners prison saying that it will monitor their trial hearings "to assess whether fair trial guarantees are fulfilled".
In the letter, obtained by the program El matí de Catalunya Ràdio, Amnesty expresses its "support and solidarity in relation with the unfair situation your and your families are living now".
⚠️ #ÚltimaHora El @maticatradio ha tingut accés a la carta que @amnesty ha fet arribar a @jordialapreso i @jcuixart on els informa que monitoritzaran el seu judici per garantir que sigui un procediment just i amb totes les garanties. pic.twitter.com/oeUBl2VmSU
— El matí de Catalunya Ràdio (@maticatradio) 30 de novembre de 2018
The letter starts by saying Amnesty is "deeply concerned that more than a year has passed since your arrest and still you are detained", a situation they believe to be "unjustifiable". This is a situation they say they have denounced internationally, adding that they will "continue to denounce [it] until you are released and the charges of rebellion and sedition are withdrawn".
Amnesty believes that their pretrial detention "is an excessive and disproportionate measure that violates [their] rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly". They believe these rights should allow people and civil society organisations to "express their opinions about the independence referendum at any time, whether individually or collectively, including in the context of public assemblies". As far as the organisation is concerned, the maximum possible charge they should be facing is one of a public order offence.
They note that they first "called on Spanish authorities to drop the charges of sedition and to put an immediate end to [their] pretrial detention" just two days after their arrest. Finally, they promise to "keep undertaking actions that we hope could have a positive impact on your cases" from their offices in Barcelona, Madrid and London.
The letter is signed by Fotis Filippou, Amnesty's campaigns director for Europe, as well as the NGO's director for Spain and coordinator for Catalonia.