French communists show support for jailed leaders

There was a new show of support for the jailed political leaders yesterday, from the French Communist Party, which this weekend held its national congress in Ivry sur Seine (near Paris). Some 92% of the party’s members voted for a motion to show support for the imprisoned leaders, and even to offer them a chance to stand for the party in the European elections. “We do not accept that political and social leaders should be imprisoned and prosecuted for having peacefully organised a referendum on the creation of an independent Catalan republic. In a democracy, enabling citizens to vote cannot be considered a crime,” said the amendment, which also avoided “adopting a position” on supporting or not independence.

The motion was put forward by a delegation from the region of Northern Catalonia, headed by Nicolas Garcia, vice president of the Department of Pyréneés-Orientales. Garcia later expressed his “satisfaction” on social media, and said that on November 30, along with MEP Marie-Pierre Vieu and the head of the party’s candidacy for the European elections, Ian Brossat, he will visit the Catalan leaders in Lledoners prison to discuss “in particular with Oriol Junqueras” the issue of imprisoned leaders running in the election for the French communists.