On September 11th, Assemblea Nacional Catalana, joined by UNPO members, marked Catalan National Day by reaffirming support for the right to self-determination and denouncing the political, cultural, and economic repression by the Spanish state. On September 25th, Ms. Ariadna Heinz delivered a critical statement at the UN Human Rights Council during Spain’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR), denouncing the denial of self-determination, selective prosecutions, and civil and political rights violations.
During this year’s Catalan National Day, thousands rallied across Catalonia to denounce the increasing marginalization of the Catalan language, systematic assimilation policies against Catalan culture, language, history, and identity, and the growing crises in housing, transport, education, healthcare, and social support. Over 100,000 people took the streets of Barcelona, Tortosa, and Girona to mark this important national day. Several UNPO member representatives, including from East Turkestan, South Moluccas and Annobón, took part in the events, expressing solidarity with the Catalan cause.
This day of celebration and protest comes one day after a ruling of The Superior Court of Justice of Catalonia (TSJC), which annulled several key provisions of the 2024 Catalan government decree on the educational language regime. The decree established Catalan as standard vehicular and learning languages in schools and public administration. The court’s decision to revoke this decree is the latest in a series of recent legal and political challenges to the Catalan language immersion model which has protected the Catalan language for decades.
The UNPO condemns this ruling and the broader trend of erosion of linguistic rights in Catalonia. We stand in solidarity with Catalan civil society and activists who are working to defend their cultural and linguistic heritage. The UNPO calls on the Spanish authorities to respect the minority and linguistic rights of the Catalan people and reinstate the language immersion model.
Statement at the UN Human Rights Council
Further underscoring the urgency, a statement was delivered by Ms. Ariadna Heinz, on behalf of Geneva for Human Rights, UNPO and Assemblea Nacional Catalana (ANC) during the adoption of Spain’s UPR Outcome at the 60th session of the UN Human Rights Council on September 26th.
The statement addressed systemic human rights concerns with a forceful call to action: “Self-determination and equal rights of the Catalan people: respect & implementation of the ICCPR, ICESCR and ICERD”. The statement urged states to translate UPR recommendations into concrete guarantees under international covenants. Critically, it recalled the omission of Article 1 of the ICCPR on the right to self-determination, arguing that “it is from the denial of the exercise of this right that many other violations stem.”
Specific violations highlighted include:
- Selective Prosecutions and Unlawful Surveillance: Catalan representatives, defenders, civil-servants, academics, journalists, and NGOs have been subjected to “selective prosecutions, disqualification from office and unlawful surveillance.”
- Amnesty Law Application: A “continuous inconsistent application” of the 2024 Amnesty Law has worsened the situation.
The joint statement respectfully called on Spain to:
- Ensure full implementation of accepted UPR recommendations with an equal focus on all international treaties and conventions.
- End unfounded prosecutions, ensure impartial application of the Amnesty Law, and provide remedies to victims of unlawful surveillance.
- Engage in genuine dialogue with Catalan institutions and civil society in line with the right to self-determination.
Geneva for Human Rights (GDH), UNPO and ANC continue their joint efforts to raise international awareness and advocate for the protection of the Catalan people’s fundamental rights.
