"Nothing is over." "Everything is possible". Those were two of the messages this Wednesday from Dolors Bassa, former labour minister in the Catalan government, when she left the prison of Puig de les Basses, after spending three years and four months in prison. "Our ideals are the same. Rights, freedoms and the right to self-determination for our people," she stressed in her speech to those who received her, after walking out of the gates of the prison near Figueres. Like the other eight pro-independence political prisoners, she has been pardoned by the Spanish government.
"The moment has arrived when the Council of Europe has called for the prisoners to go free, for the European Arrest Warrants to be cancelled for the exiles", said Bassa. She also mentioned the recent decision by European justice, to provisionally return the exiled Catalan MEPs' parliamentary immunity. "All this could have been done long before, but it's welcome and I'm very happy."
Bassa considered that the prisoners are immersed "in an obstacle course, because this is a first step, that of the pardons, which opens the door to do things in politics and not to prosecute." The former Minister of Labor referred to the Catalan exiles, the "ignominy" of those still facing reprisals, and the trials related to the independence process which are still open.
"Nothing is over," she said, also mentioning that on June 29th she is one of those summonsed to appear before Spain's audit body, the Court of Accounts, over supposed independence-related public spending.
Bassa leaves the prison / Efe
"Everything is possible"
Bassa also thanked all the people who had received her on her release from prison and who had supported her during the imprisonment since early 2018. The ex-minister ended her speech with verses from the poem Ara mateix by Catalan poet Miquel Martí i Pol: "We are where we are," she said.
Curiously, the same quote was used by Pedro Sánchez at the event held at Barcelona's Liceu on Monday to announce the pardon of the prisoners. But the Spanish prime minister's quote was limited to those few words. Dolors Bassa continued the poem with a line that Sánchez didn't use: "Que tot està per fer i tot és possible." - "Because everything is still to be done and everything is possible". It's a line that has become emblematic for the independence movement.
Among those who received Dolors Bassa outside the prison were Catalan government ministers Vilagrà, Ciuró and Jordà / Efe
Main image: Dolors Bassa leaves Puig de les Basses prison / Efe