Ógra Shinn Féin Condemns the Removal of Catalan President Quim Torra from Office

The Spanish state has removed Catalan President Quim Torra from office in another attempt to repress the democratic will of the Catalan people.

Torra is the third successive Catalan President to have been removed from office. It is the same office once held by Lluís Companys, executed by Spain in 1940 and the only democratically elected President in Europe to have been executed.

The supreme court's decision to uphold the barring of President Torra from office is an affront to democracy and must be condemned by the international community.

It is a further attempt to criminalise Catalan leaders who defend their right to self determination, Quim Torra was first removed from office for the crime of ‘disobedience’  to the Spanish state during the 2019 general election campaign because he displayed symbols in support of jailed Catalan leaders from public buildings.

Ógra Shinn Féin sends our solidarity to the Catalan people and President Torra in their struggle for freedom and justice. It is over three years since the people of Catalonia voted for Independence in a referendum. Since then the Spanish state has sought to repress the democratic will of the people of Catalonia through the persecution of democratically elected politicians. Despite this support for Independence has not decreased it is time for Spain to end its policy of repression

le Breandán Ó Conchúir