Jordi Sànchez, once at the forefront of Catalonia’s independence movement as president of the Assemblea Nacional Catalana, has spoken about the harsh realities of his imprisonment following the 1-O referendum. Arrested in October 2017 and held in preventive detention, Sànchez recalls arriving at Soto del Real prison in Madrid to immediate hostility. Fellow inmates recognized him from constant television coverage and responded with insults and aggression. Tensions eased only after he personally greeted each inmate, but the stigma of being labeled a “golpista,” or coup plotter, stayed with him throughout his time behind bars.
Sànchez and Jordi Cuixart, then president of Òmnium Cultural, were detained on 16 October 2017 over their roles in mass demonstrations outside Catalonia’s Economy Department on 20 September, shortly before the disputed 1 October independence referendum. Spain’s National Court investigating judge Carmen Lamela ordered them held in preventive detention. Prosecutors alleged that the protests obstructed a judicial operation and sought 17-year prison terms for each man. Sànchez spent three years and eight months in prison, most of it in provisional detention, which he describes as one of the gravest abuses of the Spanish penal system. He says the emotional strain can lead inmates to consider pleading guilty simply to regain their freedom, regardless of the evidence.
Expectations of an early release were dashed in December 2017. Despite rumors that civil society leaders might be freed, Sànchez learned from a television broadcast that he would remain in custody. He describes the news as even more devastating than hearing his final sentence. Over time, he adapted to prison life, drawing on his experience visiting penitentiaries and mentally preparing for incarceration in the days after the 20-S protests. He deliberately avoided starting political discussions, though inmates and staff often sought his perspective, particularly as his image remained omnipresent in the media.
Transferred to Lledoners prison in Barcelona before his trial, Sànchez found some relief in being closer to home, but his imprisonment took a profound toll on his family. His children, then aged 18, 16 and 10, endured years of separation, while his partner was thrust into an unwanted public role. Sànchez says imprisonment is often more painful for loved ones than for the inmate, with both sides trying to shield each other from distressing news. He learned only later that his parents had faced serious health issues during his incarceration.
The Supreme Court trial of 12 Catalan independence leaders, including Sànchez and Cuixart, began on 12 February 2019 and ran for 52 sessions. On 14 October, the court convicted the two men of sedition and sentenced each to nine years in prison, with disqualification from public office. Nine leaders were convicted in the case, receiving prison terms ranging from nine to 13 years. Oriol Junqueras received 13 years; Jordi Turull, Raül Romeva and Dolors Bassa each received 12 years; Carme Forcadell received 11 years and six months; and Joaquim Forn and Josep Rull received 10 years and six months. Sànchez and Cuixart received the shortest prison terms. The court convicted them of sedition, not rebellion.
Despite the adversity, Sànchez credits overwhelming support from Catalan society and his sense of injustice with helping him endure. He says the experience put everyday problems into perspective and helped him build stronger emotional armor. After serving three years and eight months, he was released in June 2021 following a government pardon. The sentences drew criticism from FC Barcelona, which said the conflict should be resolved through political dialogue, not imprisonment. Sànchez has since returned to public service as director of social rights at the Sindicatura de Greuges. He also occasionally visits former fellow inmates at Lledoners to maintain those connections and assess his own emotional recovery.
Jordi Sànchez’s case reflects broader tensions in Spain over preventive detention and the legal response to the Catalan independence movement. The emotional and social costs of high-profile prosecutions remain under debate, while other legal cases in Spain, including the recent acquittal of Antonio Arroyo over high-interest loans, highlight the complexities of the justice system. For more on the challenges faced by people caught up in Spain’s courts, see this report on a controversial Madrid lender’s acquittal.
Since his release, Sànchez has worked to carry the lessons of imprisonment into his personal and professional life. His story remains a reference point in discussions about justice and civil rights, as well as the legacy of the 1-O referendum in Catalonia and across Spain.
