ERC president Oriol Junqueras has called for an amnesty and stated that he will not give up his "convictions" and "goals" after prison treatment boards in three Catalan jails proposed a much more open "third level" prison regime for the nine pro-independence prisoners. “One more step, but we are still political prisoners,” Junqueras commented via Twitter. “We want liberty through an amnesty, because we are innocent,” he added. The 2017 Catalan vice-president argued that he will maintain his ideals "no matter how much injustice they apply."
Un pas més, però seguim sent presos polítics. Volem la llibertat a través de l'amnistia, perquè som innocents. No renunciarem a les nostres conviccions i als nostres objectius per molta injustícia que apliquin. https://t.co/r1fdV6fb4b
— Oriol Junqueras 🎗️ (@junqueras) July 2, 2020
His ministerial colleague from the 2017 government and fellow inmate at Lledoners jail, Jordi Turull, expressed a similar opinion on his personal account. "Let no one be mistaken: we are talking about a prison classification. The "third level" regime is [also] prison," he wrote forcefully.
Però que ningú no s’equivoqui: estem parlant d’una classificació penitenciària. El tercer grau és presó.
— Josep Rull i Andreu 🎗 (@joseprull) July 2, 2020
Minister Josep Rull, for his part, was brief and to the point: "WE CONTINUE and in capital letters".
#SEGUIM i amb majúscules. 🎗#LlibertatPresosPoliticsiExiliats
— Jordi Turull i Negre (@jorditurull) July 2, 2020
President of Òmnium Cultural civil society group, Jordi Cuixart, again stood up for the actions taken by himself and the independence movement in 2017. "We did what we had to do. And I remain fully convinced of the legitimacy of non-violent struggle and civil disobedience as instruments to transform society. No court will prevent us from exercising fundamental rights," he said on his Twitter account.
Vam fer el que havíem de fer. I segueixo totalment convençut de la legitimitat de la lluita noviolenta i la desobediència civil com a instruments per transformar la societat. Cap tribunal ens impedirà exercir drets fonamentals #LlibertatPresosPolítics #Autodeterminació https://t.co/urKhMwhWnn
— Jordi Cuixart (@jcuixart) July 2, 2020
The treatment boards of the three prisons where the pro-independence leaders are serving their sentences, Lledoners, Puig de les Basses and Wad-Ras, all unanimously decided to grant an open "third level" prison regime to the prisoners. This means that Oriol Junqueras, Joaquim Forn, Jordi Turull, Josep Rull, Raül Romeva, Carme Forcadell, Dolors Bassa, Jordi Sànchez and Jordi Cuixart now have a lot more scope for spending time outside the prison. After two and a half years in jail, they will be able to go out through the prison gates every day and will only have to return to sleep. Options for longer leave periods are also greater - and they will be able to stay with their families all weekend.