Oriol Junqueras

Oriol Junqueras i Vies (Catalan pronunciation: [uɾiˈɔl ʒuŋˈkeɾəz i ˈβi.əs]; born 11 April 1969) is a Spanish politician and historian from Catalonia. A former mayor of the municipality of Sant Vicenç dels Horts in Catalonia, Junqueras served as Vice President of Catalonia from January 2016 to October 2017, when he was removed from office following the Catalan declaration of independence and entered prison until June 2021 for his role in organizing the 2017 Catalan independence referendum. He is president of the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC). Born in 1969 in Barcelona, Junqueras grew up in the municipality of Sant Vicenç dels Horts. After graduating from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, he taught history at the university.As a supporter of Catalan independence, Junqueras joined ERC in 2010. Three years before, he had been elected to the Municipality Council of Sant Vicenç dels Horts for the same party, and in 2011 he became mayor. He was elected a member of the European Parliament (MEP) in 2009, a seat he held until January 2012. In 2012 he was elected as a member of the Parliament of Catalonia for the Province of Barcelona. In January 2016, following an agreement between the Junts pel Sí (JxSí), an electoral alliance of which ERC was a part, and the Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP), Junqueras was appointed Vice President of Catalonia.

On 1 October 2017, an independence referendum was held in Catalonia despite the Constitutional Court of Spain ruling that it breached the Spanish constitution. Ninety-two percent supported independence, though turnout was only 43%. Catalan government officials argued that the turnout would have been higher were it not for Spanish police suppression of the vote. On the other hand, many voters who did not support Catalan independence did not turn out, as the constitutional political parties asked citizens not to participate in what they considered an illegal referendum.The Catalan Parliament declared independence on 27 October 2017, which resulted in the Spanish government imposing direct rule on Catalonia, dismissing the Executive Council of Catalonia. The Catalan Parliament was dissolved, and fresh elections called. On 30 October 2017, charges of rebellion, sedition, and misuse of public funds were brought against Junqueras and other members of the Puigdemont government. On 2 November 2017, Junqueras and seven other Catalan ministers were remanded in custody by the Audiencia Nacional. Six of the ministers were released on bail on 4 December 2017, while Junqueras and Minister of the Interior Joaquim Forn were kept in custody. At the 2017 Catalan regional election held on 21 December, Junqueras was re-elected to Parliament and Catalan pro-independence parties retained an absolute parliamentary majority. Junqueras was suspended as an MP by a Supreme Court judge on 10 July 2018. On 14 October 2019, he was sentenced to 13 years in prison and a 13-year ban from holding public office for the crimes of sedition and misappropriation of public funds. The European Court of Justice ruled on 19 December 2019 that Junqueras had parliamentary immunity as he was an elected MEP, and should have been released from prison. He was freed in June 2021 following a Spanish government pardon after he had served 3 and a half years.