As Catalans are imprisoned for democratic efforts guaranteed by the UN, the EU should be condemned for ignoring an obvious breach of human rights, says Craig Murray.
Supreme Court of Spain in Madrid. (FDV, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons)
By Craig Murray
CraigMurray.org.uk
The vicious jail sentences handed down today by the fascists (I used the word with care and correctly) of the Spanish Supreme Court to the Catalan political prisoners represent a stark symbol of the nadir of liberalism within the EU. That an attempt to organize a democratic vote for the Catalan people in pursuit of the right of self-determination guaranteed in the UN Charter, can lead to such lengthy imprisonment, is a plain abuse of the most basic of human rights.
I was forced to withdraw my lifelong personal support for the EU when, in response to the vicious crushing of the Catalan referendum by Francoist paramilitary forces, when the whole world saw grandmothers hit on the head and thrown down stairs as they attempted to vote, all the institutions of the EU – Council, Commission and Parliament – lined up one after the other to stress their strong support for the Madrid paramilitary action in maintaining “law and order.”
Today we see the same thing. As the Catalans are imprisoned for efforts at democracy, the EU Commission stated that it “respects the position of the Spanish judiciary” and “this is, and remains, an internal matter for Spain, which has to be dealt with in line with its constitutional order.” The commission here is simply ignoring what is very obviously a fundamental breach of basic human rights. This is far worse than anything Poland or Hungary have done in recent years, and the commission is also showing a quite blatant hypocrisy in its relative treatment of its Western and Eastern members.
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There was a time when the EU was a shining example of economic and environmental regulation and of regional wealth redistribution. My fondness for the institution dates from it being one of our few defenses from economic Thatcherism. But it has evolved into something very different, a mutual support club for neoliberal political leaders.
I do not much blog about Brexit because I am less concerned about it than the majority of the population. I neither think remaining inside is essential nor that leaving it is a political panacea. I do desperately wish to retain freedom of movement, and believe leaving the customs union would be economic self-harm on a large scale. A Norway style relationship would suit me fine, but by and large I prefer to stay out of the argument. I do believe that, as a matter of democratic legitimacy, having had the 2016 referendum the result should be respected; England should leave and Scotland and Northern Ireland remain.
But I also say this. A million people are expected to march on Saturday in support of the EU. That is the EU which has just expressed its active support for the jailing of Catalans for holding a vote. They join Julian Assange as political prisoners in the EU held for non-violent thought crime.
I say this to anyone thinking of marching on Saturday. It is morally wrong, at this time, to show public support for the EU, unless you balance it by showing your disgust at the fascist repression of the Catalans and the EU’s support for that repression. Every single person going on Saturday’s march has a moral obligation to balance it by sending a message to the EU Commission that their support for this repression is utterly out of order, and carrying a flag or sign on the march indicating support for the Catalan political prisoners. Otherwise you are just a smug person marching for personal self-interest. Alongside the progenitors of the Iraq War, who doubtless will again dominate the platform speeches.
Craig Murray is an author, broadcaster and human rights activist. He was British ambassador to Uzbekistan from August 2002 to October 2004 and rector of the University of Dundee from 2007 to 2010.
This article is from CraigMurray.org.uk.
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Weep for the rich Catalans. The fascist Spanish are the poor people. The usual drivel from knee-jerk liberals. Please learn Catalan and Spanish and watch their news. Also, do some research into what really happened in October of 2017, not juts react to photos.
The EU states that the Catalan event/issues are a domestic matter .Point taken so what are response to the Hong Kong event / issues .
Hypocrisy much ?
The Hong Kong protests are endorsed by the USA, and some protestors have been seen waving US flags. Does the USA also endorse the Catalan rebellion?
Craig Murray is absolutely right about the Catalans and the democratic degradation of the EU. Unfortunately he is absolutely wrong about Brexit.
The Anti-Democratic EU is being run for German Industry and French Agriculture. The Economies of Southern Europe; Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal are deliberately kept in a state of rolling Debt. These drag down the Value of the Euro, Making German Exports Cheaper and more Competative on World Markets. Brexit has Devalued the UK Pound, making UK Exports Cheaper. The UK doesn`t see much benefit as our Major Companies are all Owned by German, French and Chinese Companies.
The US maintains an occupation of a formerly independent nation that is just as illegal as the Spanish occupation of Catalonia, but that painful reality is oddly ignored in the progressive press. From a letter on 2/25/18 by Dr. Alfred deZayas, Independent Expert, UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights:
“I have come to understand that the lawful political status of the Hawaiian Islands is that of a sovereign nation-state in continuity, but a nation-state that is under a strange form of occupation by the United States resulting from an illegal military occupation and a fraudulent annexation. As such, international laws (the Hague and Geneva Conventions) require that governance and legal matters within the occupied territory of the Hawaiian Islands must be administered by the application of the laws of the occupied state (in this case, the Hawaiian Kingdom), not the domestic laws of the occupier (the United States).”
Well said..especially about the Hawaiian islands!!
“The commission here is simply ignoring what is very obviously a fundamental breach of basic human rights. This is far worse than anything Poland or Hungary have done in recent years, and the commission is also showing a quite blatant hypocrisy in its relative treatment of its Western and Eastern members.” …well said, Craig!
“very obviously” is not a sufficient reason, as it is 100% subjective. Better go talk to the other half of Catalans who want nothing to do with independence.
It’s been surreal watching establishment loving liberals become tools of the Western National Security apparatus out of fear of the right wing extremists who have been unleashed by the global neoliberal project. I can only chalk it up to a lack of political sophistication encouraged by the corporate dominated press (“public” included) in conjunction with the corrupted political parties.
They are repeating history. They know it and they don’t even care. Monsters all.
Lois Gagnon
It’s been surreal watching
establishment loving liberals become
tools of the Western National Security apparatus
out of fear of the right wing extremists
who have been unleashed by the global neoliberal project.
I can only chalk it up to a lack of political sophistication
encouraged by the corporate dominated press (“public” included)
in conjunction with the corrupted political parties.
They are repeating history.
They know it and they don’t even care.
Monsters all.
———————————————–
Will there be an FDR
or another Eisenhower
to Save US from the
Grotesque Greed of
Wall Street and/or
Koch BUYING POWERS ???
The basic question, from a progressive/leftish p.o.v., is whether the EU is **on balance** a force for progressive politico-socio-economic developments or a force for retrogressive developments and control.
To me the latter seems to be the case.
Others disagree.
See a very interesting comment thread at Craig Murray’s own website.
Someone commented there, and I agree, that the potential to force significant change that affects one’s own life that of one’s nation-state is greater in a smaller political entity than in a larger one.
The European Union in reality is just like the old USSR, Controlled by unelected technocrats (EU COMMISSION) working for the super elites & Banking cabal. They believe in Globalism and They are totalitarian . GLOBALIZATION or NEOLIBERAL GLOBALIZATION of the NWO started mainly from the US elites with the CIA that also helped create the European Union. This Unholy undemocratic system is driven by thousands of transnational corporations (TNCs), out of which 1,318 core companies, through interlocking ownerships, own 80% of global revenues and, of these, 147 companies (i.e. less than 1 per cent of the network) form a ‘super entity’, controlling 40 per cent of the wealth of the entire network!?
Back in the EUSSR.
I respectfully disagree with Craig Murray here: Puigdemont fled and found refuge… in Brussels. This man is not persecuted by the EU at all, he is protected by the EU hence he was their point man in Spain. Catalonia events are a tentative for the EU/Globalists supra nationalists to attack Spain integrity and destroy a European nation. They had chosen Catalonia because it was a wealthy region and would cripple the Spanish nation. Hence Spain’s harsh reaction. Try it in France or in the US, or in Canada and you’ll see how the state reacts…
You do know that Brussels is first of all the capital of Flanders ? Secondly the bilingual capital of the Kingdom of Belgium.
And yes some international organisations have based some of their institutions ( EU, Nato….) in that city. So please don’t pretend the EU is defending Catalonia’s right to self determination.
Liberty, Equality, Fraternity are all qualities of a society that are present in inverse proportion to their frequency of proclamation.
Well said sir, far too many people these days are ready to march and protest without first checking exactly what they are marching for. I firmly believe that the EU is something to be feared when it comes to personal liberty.
EU’s goal: Turn Europe into another USA, with no worker rights. I am not a “European”, why is Europe-chauvinism any better than nationalism? Didn’t the EU powerhouses have colonies? Unfortunately especially the young know nothing about history or how propaganda works. The left MUST start opposing EU, otherwise the left is doomed.
The” left” in most EU COUNTRIES, does not express the will of the people anymore. It has become part of the Globalists that want to establish a totalitarian system in all Europe.
The supreme irony here is that most of the Catalan secessionists are themselves pro-EU. At least, that has been true up until now. Maybe this whole sorry affair will change their minds.
Yup. It has since morphed into an institution dedicated to imposing “economic Thatcherism” on the rest Europe. I always have to laugh now when some Britlib says that the EU ‘gave the workers their rights’. I quietly wonder to myself: ‘What rights would those be? The right to be unemployed?’
Agree
Can’t wait for the anti-democratic, fraudulent, corrupt EU to completely collapse – UK leaving in two weeks would be the start of it – here’s hoping
I agree with you, but unfortunately the Elites & CITY OF LONDON won’t let that happen. If UK leaves the EU, it will be in name only.
Compare your hope with that of (the majority) american citizens whom cannot stand POTUS Trumps’ selfish bombastic bellicose “junk science” and/or in-plain-sight BANALITY. …!!!