The 10 key statements of Jordi Turull in the Catalan independence trial

The Catalan ex-minister Jordi Turull has begun his intervention in the trial of the process at the High Court rejecting the formulation of many of the questions of the prosecutor Jaime Moreno, and has added that in the written accusation of the Prosecutor the pro-independence process appeared suddenly:

"This process, in its written accusation, is based on the fact that one day the light came on and a blank book fell on the table. Just like that! That just doesn't stand up anywhere."

The Catalan ex-minister stated that the main part of this narrative is missing: a pro-independence movement which he stated, "goes from below upwards":

"The people of Catalonia are not sheep, they are not militarised people to whom you can just say: ‘Go here, go there…!' It's not like that. The people of Catalonia, whether pro-independence or not, whether from the extreme right or extreme left, from the centre,... they have criteria. We are in the 21st century. I say this because we hear of the people in a way that totally misunderstands Catalonia and the pro-independence movement. The pro-independence movement in Catalonia goes from below upwards."

Turull emphasised the pacifism of Catalan society and qualified as "operation failure" any attempt to try to demonstrate the opposite:

"Even though there is still an attempt to generate tension and violence, whoever tries it in Catalonia, now, before and after, it is operation failure. Violence does not accompany any political formation in Catalonia. And I say this because any political party, however noble their cause, just by insinuating that to achieve this goal it requires a little passive violence, is operation failure. We are the country of Pau Casals, and for a narrative that you want to introduce, I am sorry, but it is understood that, however much Catalan society is presented as violent, this narrative makes no sense and does not stand up anywhere. Moreover, it is utter nonsense."

Regarding the declaration of independence of the 27th of October in the Parliament, the Catalan ex-minister said that what was voted for was "the expression of a political will":

"This document, apart from parliamentary legal disquisitions, is the expression of a political will that fits with the libertarian meaning of the people.That is what was voted for on the 27th of October. It was a political declaration. The Parliament undertakes politics."

Asked if he was aware that the referendum was prohibited by the Constitutional Court, Turull stated that in 5 years the Spanish government has breached as many as 25 sentences of the Constitutional Court and "here nothing is done about it":

"But according to the Prosecution, this applies to everyone. I mention this because in the same period from 2012 to 2017, the State government has breached 25 sentences of the CC (…) How come those that denounce us before the CC are those that are breaching decisions of the CC every day and nothing happens here?"

He gave as an example military service, regarding things that the Constitution introduces and do not exist:

"My political formation has a lot of experience in things that seem to have no room in the Constitution and end up having it. Many young people probably don't remember or even know what compulsory military service is. Nor should they have to remember, and the Constitution says that there is compulsory military service. It does not exist today."

In this line, he insisted that judicial action is different for "constitutionalists" and for "pro-independence people" and let fly that he had spent one year in prison for one summons.

"Do you know what is happening? When we say that the law is equal for all, that of wearing the constitutionalist suit must be a cushy number, because it allows you to breach the Constitution whenever you feel like it. In contrast, if you are pro-independence, for one summons, that came from the CC, for a summons, not for a sentence with grounds, no, for a summons, I have spent one year in prison. For a summons."

He added that the strategy has always been one of dialogue:

"The strategy followed from the very beginning has been: 'Let's harvest, let's speak'. As Machado said, before dialogue you have to listen. You have not wanted to listen to us, but we have insisted, because in Catalonia the word ‘resignation' does not exist in the political dictionary. We continue insisting."

Asked about the financing of the referendum. Turull confirmed that "not one euro of public money" was spent:

"Not one euro of public money was spent on the referendum."

At the beginning of the questioning, the prosecutor asked him if he was a member of  ANC and Òmnium, and Turull answered with a list of organisations of which he is a member:

"I am a member of Òmnium Cultural, of ANC, of Càritas, of Fundació Catalana de l'Esplai, of Intermón Oxfam, and RACC. I have been a member of Òmnium for over 20 years."