In Armenia, Cautious Optimism, Uncertainty Follow Shock Resignation
Not much left of what was Armenia 100 years ago. Pre-WWI Map of Armenia by Yerevanc, CC-BY-SA via Wikipedia From …
Tag Archives: Dictatorship
German Court Rules Catalan President Cannot Be Extradited To Spain To Be Tried For Rebellion But Could Be Extradited To Be Tried For Using Public Funds For Independence Referendum
Catalan Declaration of Independence Oct. 27 2017 From VOA but with MA comments-corrections in brackets: “German Court Rules Catalan Separatist …
Germany Dragged Into Spain’s Political Crisis As Catalonia Protests Erupt Again After Puigdemont Arrest On German-Danish Border Under EU Arrest Warrant Issued By Spain
Just as Russia’s being Russia, Spain is being Spain (land of Franco and of the Spanish Inquistion). Will Germany be …
Spain Detaining An Additional Five Catalan Leaders In Jail Pending Trial; Others In Exile; 25 Officials To Be Put On Trial
Spain is apparently a not so former fascist country, which apparently hasn’t recovered from Franco’s dictatorship. Culture is slow and …
Trump And Putin Confirm Intent “To Continue Our Shared Efforts On Strategic Stability” While Both US Senate Democrats And Republicans Are Worried About US And Russian Elections And Russian Nerve Agent Attack In The UK
“President Trump congratulated President Putin on his March 18 re-election, and emphasized the importance of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula. The two …
Russia’s Worst Kept Election Secret
“… a TASS news item read as follows: “Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plan to …
Exiled Catalan President Puigdemont Drops Bid To Return As Leader
From VOA: “Exiled Former Catalan President Drops Bid to Return as Leader March 01, 2018 9:43 PM, VOA News …
A King Humiliated By A Worthy Nation
From VilaWeb.cat: “A king humiliated by a worthy nation «Above all, a monarchy is a spectacle. But yesterday King Felipe …
Turkey: A Dark Day For Press Freedom And For Justice As Journalists Sentenced To Life In Prison Including Up To 23 Hours Per Day Solitary Confinement
By Amnesty Internationa: “Turkey: A dark day for press freedom and for justice as journalists sentenced to life 16 February …
Amnesty International Asks Spain To Drop Sedition And Rebellion Charges Against Sànchez And Cuixart; The NGO Accuses Spain’s Supreme Court Of “Making This Injustice Worse”
By Vilaweb.cat: “Amnesty International asks court to drop sedition and rebellion charges against Sànchez and Cuixart, The NGO accuses Spain’s …
British Lawyer Emmerson Takes Case Of Catalan Political Prisoners to UN
By http://www.vilaweb.cat: “British lawyer Emmerson takes case of Catalan political prisoners to UN Lawyers from Barcelona, Paris and London have …
300 Catalan Lawyers And Jurists State That Puigdemont Can Be Sworn In As President From Belgium Under Catalan, Spanish And International Law
By Vilaweb.cat: “IN ENGLISH Catalan jurists’ statement claims Puigdemont can be sworn in as president from Belgium The attorneys stress …
Hungary: A State Captured By Russia
Hungarian Prime minister Viktor Orbán is reported to have done a sudden about-face on Putin and shifted from being an …
Catalan President Puigdemont in Denmark: “We Will Not Surrender To Authoritarianism”
President of the Government of Catalonia 21-10-2017 By Vilaweb.cat: “Puigdemont, in Denmark: ‘We will not surrender to authoritarianism’ The Catalan …
Putin Has Already Planned Meeting (As President) For After 2018 Russian Presidential Election!
“… a TASS news item read as follows: “Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plan to …
Press Freedom Groups Warn That Trump’s “Fake News” Mantra Is Being Used To Limit Global Press Freedom; Trump Doesn’t Think His Long-time Friend Murdoch Makes Fake News; 40% Of Americans Consider Murdoch’s Fox Fake News
Notice that Trump doesn’t consider Fox, owned by Trump’s long-time friend Murdoch, fake news. Beware that the Wall Street Journal …
Pro-Independence Parties Win Majority in Catalonia Elections, Dealing Blow to Madrid
From VOA: “Pro-Independence Parties Win Majority in Catalonia Elections, Dealing Blow to Madrid December 22, 2017 2:28 AM, by Henry …
Catalonia Votes For A New Parliament (Under Orders From Spain)
From VOA: “Spain’s Catalonia Region Votes for New Parliament December 21, 2017 6:12 AM, VOA News Voters in Spain’s Catalonia …
Catalan President Puigdemont: “December 21 Will Prove That Someone Deceived The EU’s Institutions” (Interview)
By VilaWeb: “President Puigdemont: ‘December 21 will prove that someone deceived the EU’s institutions’: Interview with the Catalan president Per: …
Extradition Case Against Catalan President Puigdemont Closed (14-12-2017)
By VilaWeb: https://www.vilaweb.cat “Extradition case against Puigdemont closed The Belgian justice officially puts an end to the proceedings a week …
Oriol Junqueras Letter From Estremera Prison (Letter Of The Legitimately Elected Vice-President of Catalonia)
Via Vilaweb.cat: “Oriol Junqueras letter from Estremera prison Letter of the legitimately elected Vice-President of Catalonia Per: Redacció 13.12.2017 09:26 The …
45,000 Demonstrate In Brussels For Release Of Catalan Political And Social Leaders From Prison And To Denounce The Lack Of Democracy In Spain
“45,000 people attend demonstration in Brussels, according to Belgian police figures: Original route changed due to large influx of protesters …
Spain’s “Article 155 Is A Remnant of Francoism” [Fascism]: Interview With Bojan Brezigar, Slovenian Journalist Who Has Written Six Days In Catalonia
“Bojan Brezigar: ‘Article 155 is a remnant of Francoism’ An interview with Bojan Brezigar, the Slovenian journalist who has written …
Spanish Supreme Court Withdraws International Arrest Warrant For Catalan President Puigdemont: The Catalan President And The Four Ministers in Belgium Testified Monday In Brussels Over Their Extradition Case; Catalan VP Junqueras Still In Prison
“Spanish Supreme Court withdraws international arrest warrant for Puigdemont: The Catalan president and the four ministers in Belgium testified Monday …
Trump Appointed Judge Kelly Rules In Trump’s Favor On Consumer Agency Leadership; Kelly Got His Start Under Bushes
Judge Timothy James Kelly, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Nominated by Donald J. Trump on June 7, …
Another Trump Move To Undermine Separation Of Powers In US Government: Attempts To Illegally Appoint Acting Director Of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau; 25 Members Of Congress File Suit
If Trump is allowed to destroy the Separation of Powers (“Checks and Balances”_, this is called dictatorship. Trump’s coup d’etat …
Pro-Independence Protesters in Catalonia Block Roads, Railway Lines: Catalans and Basques Can Control Spain’s Land Access To Europe
Because of the mountains, Catalans and Basques together could totally block Spain’s access to Europe by highway and railway, whether …
Catalan President Urges EU To Act; EU Investigates Possible Misappropriation of Funds By Spanish PM Rajoy’s Party; Noose Tightens Around Rajoy In Gürtel Corruption Case; Catalonia On Strike
The Catalan President urges the European union to react to the jailing of Catalan officials and community activists. Meanwhile, the …
Catalan Officials’ Lawyer Denounces Their Treatment By Spain On Their Way To Prison; Plus Two Catalan Officials Were Strip Searched Upon Arrival
The following is about the treatment of the Catalan officials, including the Vice President, who turned themselves in to the …
Thousands of Basques Protest Against Spain’s Repressive Policies in Catalonia
Language, genetics, blood type and history all point to the Basque people as the remnant of the earliest indigenous Europeans. …
Catalan Officials Sent to Prison With Highest Number of Attacks on Prison Officers; Fights Between Prisoners; Spanish Police Imply That Catalan Officials Risk Assault In Prison and Laugh About It; Lawyer Complains About Conditions
“The lawyer representing imprisoned Catalan ministers, Oriol Junqueras, Carles Mundó and Raül Romeva, says he will file a complaint over …
Imprisonment of Catalan Officials Is Very Serious Attack on Democracy; Work Stoppages Held In Protest; More Than 20 Media Outlets Condemn Arrests
Free Political Prisoners pop-up on the Catalan President in Exile web site: http://president.exili.eu/pres_gov/president/ca/ https://web.archive.org/web/20171103084444/http://president.exili.eu/pres_gov/president/ca NB: The person in the photo …
Spain Puts Out Arrest Warrant for Catalan President and 4 Ministers in Belgium; Throws 8 Catalan Ministers in Prison without Bail in Madrid
“The Spanish attorney general demands international arrest warrant against dismissed Catalan president and 4 ministers in Belgium“, catalannews.com tweet. Even …
15 Catalan Officials In Madrid Courts Today; 5 Others Ask To Testify From Brussels; Madrid Judge Shaking Down Officials For Over 6 Million Euros (Over $7 Million) Bail
Some or all hearings suddenly postponed this morning after officials arrived in courts:,”Spain’s Supreme Court postpones hearings for members of …
Catalan President in Exile: President Puigdemont in Brussels
CBC news Canada, 3 minute clip in English and subtitled of Catalan President Puigdemont’s speech in Brussels: http://youtu.be/WErD2vLTm8E The new …
President Puigdemont-Catalan Government Officials Go To Belgium, Tricking the Double-Crossing Spanish Government
The Spanish government had pretended that they would let Catalan President Puigdemont run for office in December, only to try …
Catalonia Calm Before Storm?
“Attacks on journalists and Catalan police reported during anti-independence demonstrations, Incidents also include intimidation of transport workers and damage of …
Catalan President Puigdemont: “We Will Continue To Build A Free Country”, 28 Oct. 2017 Statement Following The Declaration of Independence
One of the most important aspects of President Puigdemont’s speech is the reminder that as people protest Spain’s takeover of …
Declaration of the Independence of the Catalan Republic, Friday October 27, 2017
Below is our unofficial translation of excerpts from the Declaration of Independence of Catalonia, 27 October 2017. Comments in brackets. …
President Puigdemont’s Speech to the Catalan Parliament About Application of Article 155 by Spain; Will the Catalan Parliament Declare Independence? Call for Elections? Both? Or Delay?
Since the President of the Generalitat [Government] of Catalonia is elected by the Parliament, it makes sense that he should …
Amendment Stripping Protections from Endangered Species Defeated in US Senate; Trump Admin Removed Some Protections After US Court Upheld Protection of Endangered Utah Prairie Dog; Thus Trump Admin Ignores The Intent of Congress and the Courts
The US Congress voted to keep protections of endangered species residing in only one state, despite efforts by Utah Senator …
Catalan President To Speak Before The Catalan Parliament: Will Independence Be Declared? Elections Called? Both?
On Wednesday afternoon, (16.56, 25-10-2017) it was announced that the President of the Government of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, would speak …
Statement By The Catalan President About Spanish Threats To Liquidate the Catalan Government; Catalan Government Predates The Magna Carta
“The Generalitat is not an institution that was born with the current Spanish Constitution. Long before the approval of the …
Help Catalonia; Save Democratic Values
“The European Union’s fundamental values are respect for human dignity and human rights, freedom, democracy, equality and the rule of …
77 Years Ago Catalan President Lluis Companys Was Killed In the Name of the Established Order and the Law
Catalan President Companys was killed by Franco’s Spanish fascist government on Oct. 15, 1940. On the 77th anniversary, the current …
15 October 1940: Catalan President Lluís Companys Executed By Firing Squad By Spain
By Nationalia, 15 Oct. 2015: “75 years after execution, no reparation from Spanish government to democratically elected Catalan president Handed …
The Rebirth of Catalan: How a Once-Banned Language is Thriving
From “The Conversation”: The rebirth of Catalan: how a once-banned language is thriving Irene Boada, Queen’s University Belfast Barcelona is …
US Senator Markey Calls on FCC to Reject Trump Threats to Revoke NBC Broadcast License; Undermine FCC Independence; Trump Appears to Threaten Other Networks that He Dislikes
Note that Trump didn’t just threaten NBC, but also appears to threaten other networks: “With all of the Fake News …
Official Statement by the Catalan President on the Political Situation in Catalonia, Barcelona, 10 October 2017
“10-10-2017 23.08 Official Statement by the President on the political situation in Catalonia I stand here before Parliament to present …
Catalonia: Pirates 1, The Spanish Armada 0
Defeat of the Spanish Armada, 8 August 1588, Philip James de Loutherbourg, 1796, “Published on Thursday, October 05, 2017 by …
