Solidarity Alert postpones a trial for the Process
Today at noon, Alerta Solidària, a platform of lawyers committed to justice and the anti-repressive struggle, has announced a new postponement of a court hearing related to the Process, as a result of the debate surrounding the Amnesty Law.
Section 3a of the Provincial Court of Barcelona has postponed a trial scheduled for next week, as reported by the entity. This suspension, despite being requested in advance, has been verbally communicated to the affected parties at the last minute.
“According to our conversations with the courts, the postponement is due to a recent change of opinion regarding the Amnesty Law,” Alerta Solidària said.
The repercussions of the Amnesty Law in the judicial system
This case represents one of several trials that have been affected by the imminent possibility of an Amnesty Law, which could be approved at the end of May. Before this, two other hearings had already been postponed, one at the Criminal Court number 2 of Girona and another at the Superior Court of Justice of Catalonia, which is under appeal.
The person accused in this case is La Sane, a resident of Sant Celoni, who faces a request for 3 years in prison for public disorder during the protests following the sentence of the 2019 Trial, according to the prosecutor’s office and a report by the Mossos d’Esquadra.
The complexity of legislation in the midst of a changing scenario
The Amnesty Law, still pending, has generated uncertainty and debate about its application in ongoing court cases. Some prosecutions have tried to avoid its application by adapting the charges or seeking other legal avenues, as in the case of charging protesters with coercion or threats rather than crimes related to their protests.
Although the process of the law continues in the Senate and later in Congress, it is estimated that it could be approved in about a month and a half. This raises questions about its retroactive application and repercussions in ongoing trials.
Courts have been forced to make decisions regarding the continuation or postponement of trials depending on the political and legal context. For example, while the Superior Court of Justice of Catalonia (TSJC) has decided to postpone the trial of Josep Maria Jové, Natàlia Garriga and Lluís Salvador for electoral reasons, other cases have remained ongoing, such as that of a protester during a general strike