More than a year after the celebration of the Self-determination Referendum, the Catalan independentist movement is at a crossroads. Nine political leaders are in jail and face charges of sedition and rebellion, while seven others face similar charges in other countries. The testimony of the ex-minister of Education, Clara Ponsatí, will provide the audience with a unique perspective of these circumstances.

She will be joined by her lawyer, Aamer Anwar, who will focus on the judicial strategy against the accusations of the Judiciary of Spain.

Aamer Anwar (@AamerAnwar) is Rector of the University of Glasgow and a criminal defence lawyer.

Alfred Bosch (@AlfredBosch) is Minister of Foreign Action and Institutional Relations.

Clara Ponsati Obiols (@ClaraPonsati) is former Minister of Education of Catalonia, and Professor of Economics, University of St Andrews.

José Ignacio Torreblanca (@jitorreblanca) is Head of the Madrid office of the European Council on Foreign Relations.

Professor Paul Preston is the Príncipe de Asturias Professor of Contemporary Spanish Studies and Director of the Cañada Blanch Centre for Contemporary Spanish Studies at the London School of Economics.

The LSE European Institute (@LSEEI) is a centre for research and graduate teaching on the processes of integration and fragmentation within Europe. In the most recent national Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014) the Institute was ranked first for research in its sector.

The Catalan Observatory serves as a platform within Cañada Blanch Centre to promote research and debate about contemporary Catalan history and politics.

Twitter Hashtag for this event: #LSECatalonia

Podcast 

A podcast of this event is available to download from What Now? The Political and Judicial Future of the Catalan Independentist Movement.

Podcasts and videos of many LSE events can be found at the LSE Public Lectures and Events: podcasts and videos channel.

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