I rise to express my concerns about aspects of the long-running political contest between unionists and separatists in the Spanish region of Catalonia. This is, of course, a complex debate around questions of political autonomy, self-determination and independence—questions, undeniably, best left to those directly affected.
My concerns relate to the treatment of a number of pro-independence political leaders in the aftermath of last year's referendum. Several leaders of Catalonia's independence movement have been imprisoned on charges of sedition and rebellion. A number of others, including Carles Puigdemont, the democratically elected leader of Catalonia, fled Spain before Spanish authorities were able to detain them on similar charges.
The right to self-determination is a fundamental human right that all states are bound to respect under international law. Efforts to extradite Mr Puigdemont and a number of his pro-independence colleagues on charges of rebellion signal an alarming preparedness to silence key political proponents of this independence movement. Attempts to suppress political beliefs by denying basic rights have no place in any modern democracy. Referenda in other parts of the EU have been successfully carried out without recrimination. Spain, committed as it is to the ideas of liberal democracy and pluralism, must continue to set a similar example. All states are duty-bound to respect the human rights of all political participants in processes like these. Failure to do so risks undermining the key tenets of our democracies and perhaps wider aspirations for lasting peace and settlement.