Writer John Carlin has looked ahead to the end of the Catalan independence trial, now almost within sight. And he has seen that "if the prisoners end up being found guilty there'll be a huge international uproar".
In his regular political commentary on Catalunya Ràdio, the Anglo-Spanish writer also referred to this week's report from the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions, which has called for the immediate release of Oriol Junqueras, Jordi Sànchez and Jordi Cuixart, jailed provisionally since 2017. This is "a sign of what's just ahead" with the trial verdicts, says Carlin. The journalist is convinced that if the pro-independence leaders end up receiving prison sentences, "there will be major international condemnation" and "the world will pay attention to Spain".
If this happens, Carlin expects that in Europe there will be "reactions of horror" to the Spanish judicial system, and it will be seen "that it has intervened in parliamentary politics." A response that Carlin has said will not be in the interests of the Spanish government at all, since the Catalan leaders will be seen "as martyrs." "This would not be good for the constitutionalists who defend the unity of Spain," he added.
With just over two weeks until the trial is expected to end, Carlin considers that it has become apparent that in the events around the 1st October 2017 referendum "there was no violence", and that if the court finds the political prisoners guilty after 4 months of trial, "it will be totally disproportionate".