Independence leaders walk free from prison

Nine independence leaders in Catalonia walked free from prison on Wednesday following Spain’s pardons, having spent 3.5 years behind bars

They were found guilty of sedition, with sentences ranging from 9 to 13 years, for leading Catalonia’s referendum push and attempt to declare independence from Spain in the fall of 2017

The Spanish government pardoned the remaining sentences to help try and overcome years of political division

While pardons fall short of the independence movement’s demands for a general amnesty and a self-determination referendum, the Catalan government has welcomed them as a measure that will help ease the pain caused by the "unfair" sentencing