The Catalan National Assembly participated in the 2026 OSCE Warsaw Human Dimension Conference, where it raised concerns about media freedom, the protection of political dissent, and the criminalisation of the Catalan pro-independence movement.
The Conference brought together civil society representatives from the 57 OSCE participating States to discuss issues including the rule of law, non-discrimination, democratic institutions, and fundamental freedoms. Representing the Catalan National Assembly, Teresa Calveras took part in two plenary sessions.
In Plenary Session 8: Fundamental Freedoms II, including: Freedom of expression, freedom of the media, and the safety of journalists, Calveras stressed the importance of independent journalism and critical voices as essential pillars of democratic societies, warning that they are increasingly under pressure in Spain and beyond.
She highlighted the case of La Directa, a Catalan independent media outlet that reported on the infiltration of Catalan social movements by Spanish police officers, including cases involving intimate relationships. The Spanish Data Protection Agency has initiated proceedings against La Directa and other Catalan media outlets over the publication of this information, despite it also being featured in other media outlets across Spain.
Calveras recalled that the Council of Europe’s Safety of Journalists Platform has classified the case as a level 2 alert, identifying it as a serious threat to media freedom. She stressed that journalists and media outlets must be able to investigate and report on matters of public interest, and hold public authorities accountable without facing administrative or legal retaliation.
In Plenary Session 9: Tolerance and Non-discrimination II, including: Rights of persons belonging to national minorities, and Roma and Sinti issues, Calveras highlighted concerns about linguistic discrimination, restrictions on freedom of expression, and the criminalisation of political dissent.
She pointed to the treatment of the Catalan pro-independence movement by Spanish authorities, alerting that it has been framed through a security and criminalisation lens despite its peaceful and democratic nature. Calveras referred to the 2026 EU Terrorism Situation and Trend Report, which presented the Catalan pro-independence movement as ethnonationalist and separatist terrorism. She warned that this type of framing can contribute to a chilling effect, discouraging civilians from exercising their fundamental rights, and to the silencing and delegitimisation of the movement.
Calveras called on OSCE authorities to closely monitor threats to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly in Spain, particularly when they affect political dissent and national minorities. She also urged Spanish authorities to ensure that counter-terrorism and criminal-law frameworks are not misused against non-violent political dissent, and called for the full protection of peaceful democratic expression.
Assemblea’s participation in the 2026 Warsaw Human Dimension Conference reaffirms its commitment to Catalonia’s struggle for democracy and self-determination, raising concerns about fundamental rights and freedoms before the international community.