The verdict of the UN Human Rights Committee against Spain for having suspended Catalan pro-independence leaders Oriol Junqueras, Raül Romeva, Jordi Turull and Josep Rull as members of parliament when they had not been convicted, have been reported significantly by international media. The conclusions of the Human Rights body state that Spain violated the political rights of the politicians by acting in this way, and thus breached the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of 1966.
Here is how key media in different countries reported the news:
'The Washington Post'
"Independent human rights experts working with the United Nations say Spain violated the political rights of members of the Catalan government and parliament by stripping them of their duties prior to any conviction following the illegal independence vote in the region five years ago," points out the leading US daily.
'Le Figaro'
Le Figaro, one of the French newspapers of record, reported the statements of Human Rights Committee member Hélène Tigroudja: "The UN Committee has taken an important step in asserting that safeguards against restrictions on political rights must be applied more rigorously if such restrictions occur before, rather than after, conviction for a crime ", indicated Hélène Tigroudja.
'Daily Mail'
"There was no immediate reaction from the Spanish government. Spain says a self-determination referendum is a breach of the country's constitution," notes the high-circulation British tabloid.
Mediapart.fr
"Spain violated the political rights of former Catalan leaders by suspending them from public office before they were convicted for their role in the attempted secession of Catalonia in 2017, as the Human Rights Committee of the UN", opens the independent French digital daily.
Swiss Radio RSJ
"Spain violated the political rights of members of the Catalan Government and Parliament after the 2017 independence referendum, according to the UN Human Rights Committee. These leaders should not have been suspended before being sentenced," says the private Swiss broadcaster. It goes on to note: "The UN Committee's decision came as Catalan president Pere Aragonès is due in Geneva on Thursday".
Main photo: Spanish Supreme Court judge Pablo Llarena, investigating judge in charge of the case of the Catalan pro-independence leaders at the pre-trial stage.