In a letter addressed to Spanish president, Pedro Sánchez, the Spanish public prosecutor, María José Segarra, and the Spanish Ombudsman, Francisco Fernández Marugán, the largest network of NGOs against torture and inhumane treatment in the world has called for the immediate release of two civil society leaders, Òmnium Cultural’s president Jordi Cuixart and the former head of ANC, Jordi Sànchez.

The World Organization Against Torture (OMCT) finds the accusations against the civil society leaders unfounded and demands they should be dropped, arguing that keeping them in custody is a disproportionate restriction on their fundamental rights.

In summary, the OMCT states that:

• The preventive imprisonment of Cuixart and Sànchez is arbitrary
• Civil society leaders must have a fair trial
• Arbitrary detention and judicial harassment against civil society leaders are a disproportionate restriction of their fundamental rights
• The charges against them are unfounded and, therefore, they must be withdrawn
• Civil society leaders cannot be tried by the Supreme Court

READ the full statement here