Thread by @milfordedge

👨‍⚖️Day 3 of the trial of the Catalan government, in 12 videoclips👩‍⚖️

🔴Oriol Junqueras' testimony🔴

The voice of Catalan VP, Oriol Junqueras, hadn't been heard for 15 months since he was dismissed and remanded in custody on 2 November, 2017

[📽️Video thread - ST in English👇]
1

"I'm convinced that I am accused for my ideas and not for my acts and, considering that this is a political trial, as I understand it, and that I'm an elected representative and have a duty to my voters, I will not answer any prosecution questions." @junqueras

2
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"In January 2016, I was appointed Vice President and Minister of Economy and Finance of the Generalitat of Catalonia, a post from which I was dismissed with the application of Article 155. I currently consider myself to be a political prisoner." @junqueras

3
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"How do we define the right to self-determination? Well, as the application of the democratic principle, as recognised in international treaties. We've always sought it, seek it still and will continue to seek it, whatever the result of the trial." @junqueras

4
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"Because we are democrats, because we are republicans, because we are in favour of social justice, because we are in favour of equal opportunities, and have this conviction that the best way to embody these values is through a Catalan Republic." @junqueras

5
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"We have always, always rejected violence. Why? Because any noble aim in politics or life can become immoral if the means used to achieve it are indecent. This is valid for the Catalan Republic, the Spanish monarchy, Europe, and it is valid for anything else." @junqueras

6
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"Nothing we have done is a criminal offence. Nothing, absolutely nothing. Voting in a referendum is not an offence. Working towards the Catalan Republic in a peaceful way is not an offence. We have not committed one of the crimes we're accused of." @junqueras

7
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"I've often said I love Spain and its peoples, language and culture because it's true. How's this compatible with my being a Catalan republican? Because I'm convinced the best way to guarantee peaceful coexistence is through mutual acknowledgement between equals" @junqueras

8
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"The referendum cost taxpayers nothing at all. As far as the polling stations are concerned, there's a fact I think is indisputable - that public premises can't, by definition, be rented out so it's impossible to calculate any supposed loss of earnings." @junqueras

9
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"Everybody saw the violence some police officers used. It was seen on all the TV channels of the world: how they hit people doing nothing, used banned equipment and went against the court order dictating restraint and forbidding action on private premises." @junqueras

10
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"Everything that'd happened up to then was completely civil, peaceful, exemplary and respectful so the only thing that could be expected was that this'd continue. The people who went to vote behaved strictly according to peaceful, civil and non-violent criteria" @junqueras

11
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"We face a situation that requires a political solution. This political solution must somehow be endorsed by a popular vote, and this vote must somehow be respected." @junqueras

12
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"Their attitude was peaceful, respectful. They were even handing out carnations. They were singing, among many other things, Virolai, a hymn dedicated to the Mother of God, which refers to the Virgin of Montserrat as the Spanish Star of Bethlehem." @junqueras

BONUS TRACK
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