More than 40 French senators say there is "repression" against the leaders of the "procès"

© EFE  The president of the Generalitat Carles Puigdemont (c) made a statement to the press at the gates of the prison in Neumünster, Germany. (EFE)

A group of  41 French senators from different parties  of left and right have denounced  "the repression"  against the  leaders of the Catalan independence process  and called in a statement that France and the EU to intervene to "restore the conditions of dialogue." The Spanish ambassador to France, Fernando Carderera, said Monday in a statement that "deplores and rejects" the manifesto signed by legislators, "which  demonstrates a complete ignorance of the situation in Spain  by a minority group of French senators". He added that "efforts are being made at all levels" in response to that statement.

François Calvet, one of the promoters of the initiative and representative of the department of Pyrenees - Orientales (Catalonia North called), told Efe that  the manifesto seeks to  France  and other European governments to intervene  "so that there is a mediation" because the situation current "does not benefit anyone." "Europe's role is to try to find solutions, not sit with folded arms" because " there is a power surge that can more than not end badly , " said the senator from the Conservative Party Republicans.

He insisted that  they want to "have a discussion between the central state and Catalonia " and that "dialogue does not lead to judicial level , " referring to the proceedings before the Spanish Supreme Court. In the statement, published on the blog of Senator André Gattolin, a member of the Republic in March  (the party  of French President  Emmanuel Macron ), the signatories ask that "France and the countries of the European Union intervene to restore the conditions of dialogue to find political solutions to a political problem. "

The 41 signatories (the French Senate has 348 members) are also demanding "respect for freedoms and fundamental rights in Catalonia, of course not interfere in the political problems of a neighboring country without taking sides on the issue of independence Catalonia ". Denounce also "repression victims of the legitimate elected representatives, political representatives of the Catalan imprisoned or forced into exile for their views on the exercise of the mandate given them by the voters." 

Calvet justified the term "repression" to describe the treatment of those responsible tried before the Supreme in Madrid, which  he called "political prisoners",  because "we believe that you can not stop people for their convictions."

According to the 41 senators, the situation of these politicians is "a real attack on democratic rights and freedoms." At the same time, they consider that  "the seriousness of this situation has been underestimated in France."  The text is the result of an initiative of Gattolin and four other senators, including François Calvet is, and arose from similar statements by mayors of the Eastern Pyrenees that had requested the release of prisoners.