Judges discredit Sánchez for questioning the judicial process to the 'procés' and say that Justice "cannot look the other way"

They remember that the independence leaders were convicted for committing criminal acts, not for defending political options.

MADRID, 21 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Professional Association of the Judiciary (APM), the Francisco de Vitoria Judicial Association (AJFV) and the Independent Judicial Forum (FJI) have disgraced the acting president of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, for questioning the judicial procedure that was undertaken against the leaders of the Catalan 'procés' and have recalled that "the courts cannot look the other way" when a crime is committed "because they are politicians and say they are acting for political purposes."

María Jesús del Barco, president of the majority association of judges - the APM - has stressed in statements to Europa Press that "the judicial process began because (the independence leaders) committed criminal acts." On this point, in addition, she recalled that Sánchez himself "applauded" the judges' action, "saying that he would bring (Carles) Puigdemont to justice."

The FJI spokesperson, Fernando Portillo, has also stressed that "the judicial route that was undertaken was not because (the leaders of the 'procés') wanted to defend political options, but because they resorted to the path of crime."

In this sense, he has shown his "astonishment" at the fact that the "political" prism is increasingly used to "justify everything." "The judicialization came because a crime was committed," she pointed out, while emphasizing that "the courts cannot look the other way because they are political and say they act for political purposes."

Thus, the FJI spokesperson recalled that "the crimes committed have been demonstrated by the convictions that have been made" and that not pursuing them through judicial means "would be to think that politicians are a separate caste for whom the law does not apply." ".

For his part, Jorge Fernández Vaquero, spokesperson for the AJFV, has assured in statements to this news agency that as a citizen he is "concerned" that the head of the Executive "thinks that there are criminal acts that should not have been criminally prosecuted."

"As a person committed to human rights, I am concerned that we have positions of political responsibility who believe that the rule of law is subordinate to political interests," he noted.

Regarding his position as a member of an association of judges, he has stressed that he finds it "worrying" that "it is suggested that the judicial system has been used illegitimately or spuriously to pursue actions that he considers should not have been pursued."

Fernández Vaquero has stressed that "delegitimizing the entire institutional system and the protection of fundamental rights for a political matter" seems to him "typical of a foolhardy person."

Subsequently, the AJFV spokesperson has indicated that it is "very difficult" for him to speak out in this way and that "it should be the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) that is preserving the position of the Spanish judicial system."