CATALONIA
'The former magistrate and lawyer Elpidio José Silva believes that
the trial and the procedure in the Supreme Court are doing a "terrible
damage" to Spanish democracy, due to a charge that considers
"inconsistent", "rushed", without a pre-established calendar and with
witnesses who "digress" and make "political statements".'
'In
this "judicial theatrical work" he has criticized some "alarming
witnesses", such as the government politicians who "seem to know nothing
and did not run" a "police leadership
that makes people feel afraid and ashamed". Thus, he criticized the
"lack of separation of powers" by the action of the prosecution and the
Civil Guard in September 2017, as they did not stop acting although the
case should have instructed, according to Silva, by the magistrate of
the TSJC that already had open proceedings. In fact, he said, the
instructions of the prosecutor's office to the police forces during
those weeks could be a crime of prevarication and it seemed that the
police officials were the ones in charge.'
