The Catalan National Assembly organizes an international digital debate on the 80th anniversary of President Companys’ assassination

The Catalan National Assembly will organize the debate “80 years since the assassination of Catalan President Lluís Companys” on October 16th at 19h CET, in the framework of the Spanish authorities’ ousting of Catalan President Torra

On the 28th of September 2020, the Spanish Supreme Court ousted Catalan President Quim Torra for having hung a banner in support of Catalan political prisoners during an election campaign. Looking back, in the past 100 years, every Catalan President except for two -tied to the socialist party- have been either deposed, fined, imprisoned, exiled or assassinated by Spain’s authorities.

One of the most well-known case is that of Lluís Companys, who famously declared the proclamation of the Catalan State in October 1934 and led the Catalan war effort during the Spanish Civil War. After his exile to France in 1939, he was captured by the Nazi Gestapo and handed over to the Francoist regime, who had him executed on October 15th, 1940.

On the 16th of October, a day after the 80th anniversary of Lluís Companys’ execution and with the ongoing Spanish judicial repression against Catalan elected leaders, the Catalan National Assembly is hosting an International debate with Catalan President Quim Torra; Professor of Hispanic Studies at Trinity College (USA) Thomas S. Harrington and the International Action Committee Coordinator of the Catalan National Assembly, Joana Pujol. The debate will be moderated by the Communications Coordinator of the Catalan National Assembly & PhD. By the Central University of Catalonia, Adrià Alsina.

The debate will be streamed live at 19h CET on our YouTube and Facebook channels.