British newspaper The Independent published an editorial this Tuesday saying that Spain's "handling of the Catalonian independence movement is worse than a human rights outrage; it is a mistake".
They recognise that the independence movement's campaign has not always been run in the "most effective way". The 2017 referendum, they say, was "not a good mandate", and the declaration of independence "was unwise". That said, the response from Madrid was "disgraceful", the trial is "plainly political" and the long pre-trial detention of the defendants "unjustifiable".
Editorial: Spain’s trial of Catalan separatists is worse than an outrage – it is a terrible mistake https://t.co/DS0QZAOxC5
— Independent Voices (@IndyVoices) 13 de febrer de 2019
"It ought to prick the conscience of all Spaniards and indeed all good Europeans", they write, that Puigdemont "felt he had to flee the country". The paper believes that, if convicted, the twelve are certain to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights, "where their right to peaceful expression of their views is almost certain to be recognised".
Critical of Sánchez
The British paper is critical of the way the Spanish government is tackling the situation. "Even if [they] refuse to accept that they are on the wrong side of human rights law", they write, "they should realise that this is not the best way" to win, suggesting they could have learnt from David Cameron's handling of demands for Scottish independence.
"If Spain’s prime minister cannot see that what his government is doing in Catalonia is wrong, he should realise that it is counterproductive and risks storing up much greater trouble for the future," they conclude.