Criticism of criminal lawyer Xavier Melero
Xavier Melero, a criminal lawyer representing former president Artur Mas, has come under heavy criticism in recent days due to his lack of action before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in relation to Mas’s lawsuit against the Spanish State for the violation of his rights after his conviction for the organization of the 9-N referendum of 2014.
In statements to RAC1, Melero acknowledged his mistake and publicly expressed his regret, admitting that he was arrogant by not answering the ECtHR’s allegations. Furthermore, he revealed that he even received two warnings from the court, both he and Mas, to present allegations to the briefs presented by the State, but considered that it was not necessary to complement them.
Repercussions and subsequent actions
Melero’s mistake has had significant consequences, as the ECtHR has closed Artur Mas’s case against Spain without examining it due to the lack of response from both the former president and his lawyer. Despite this, Melero has spoken with Mas and presented his apology, which was accepted by the former president.
Despite the situation, Melero has opened the possibility of presenting a complaint to the United Nations Human Rights Commission, indicating that it is the only instance they would have left. He has also stated that they will follow Mas’ instructions until the end, demonstrating his commitment to the case.
Background and closure of the case
The case dates back to 2022, when Mas decided to take his conviction for disobedience to the Strasbourg court. However, the ECtHR has interpreted that the former president had no intention of continuing with the lawsuit for violation of human rights and has archived the case, after sending multiple requests that received no response.
Mas alleged that the Spanish justice system violated the principle of legality and questioned whether the events were criminal in nature, arguing that the decision of the Constitutional Court was not precise enough in prohibiting the consultation of 9-N. This led Mas to consider that his conviction violated the European Convention on Human Rights.