Yesterday, Spain's Court of Auditors confirmed and even slightly increased the fine imposed on former Catalan president Artur Mas as well as various members of his government over expenses for the unofficial 2014 independence referendum. In total, they are now liable to pay 4,988,620.11€ (£4.49 million; $5.56 million) between them.
Catalan presidents Quim Torra and Carles Puigdemont have both publicly expressed their support for Mas and the others. Puigdemont wrote on Twitter: "This is the Spain of the monarchy and Ibex [stock index]: they're aiming for the civil death of the Catalan pro-independence leaders whilst protecting Spanish nationalist leaders", but said "they won't be successful".
Torra addressed the ten by name: Artur Mas, Joana Ortega, Francesc Homs, Irene Rigau, Lluís Bertran, Josefina Valls, Jaume Domingo, Ignasi Genovès, Jordi Vilajoana and Teresa Prohias. He said that "the repression doesn't stop" but that "our fight for liberty and justice doesn't either".
Among the others to react were business minister Àngels Chacon and presidency minister and spokesperson Meritxell Budó. "Exile, prison, repression and the economic consequences of having given the people a voice," wrote the former; "the state rejects any form of dialogue whilst it continues to use all forms of repression against politicians and senior government officials," the latter.
Interior minister Miquel Buch wrote that "the voice of the Catalan people is unstoppable", and they wouldn't desist in enabling that voice, "despite the repression and humiliation they want to subject us to".
Beyond the members of the government, there are also Parliament deputies who have expressed their solidarity, including Eusebi Campdepadrós, first parliamentary secretary from JxCat: "I'd like to hear that one about 'if it's one of it, it's all of us'".