they've been called for president omar al bashir to step down but as the headlines the news continues here on al-jazeera after the stream thank you thanks a water bottle. from sun. to sunset. asia. the pacific explorer. story one on one. and i really could be here in the stream today catalonia separatist leaders on trial where we examine this major court case and its impact on politics in spain what should happen to the people who lead catalonia failed bid for independence let us know what you think in our live youtube chat or on twitter.

twelve cats and separatist leaders could see up to twenty five years in prison if convicted of rebellion and other offenses related to a failed independence bade in late twenty seventeen madrid tried to stop catalonia from holding its independence referendum first by declaring the vote unconstitutional and then by using national police to crackdown on voters ninety percent of voters supported secession and weeks later catalan is part of it made a declaration of independence that fervor aggravated the country's worst political crisis spain's transition to democracy in the nine hundred seventy s. on saturday hundreds of thousands protested in barcelona against the court case the trial has been criticized for being a political show many carried banners that read that self-determination is a right not a crime but joining us to talk about this from barcelona. at the university. and the required teen as is also in barcelona he's an activist who was against

independence for catalonia and. a professor of journalism and communication at the university he is a former press officer for the national assembly and joins us from barcelona welcome everyone. on to the stream i want to start with a passionate tweet from a member of our community this on twitter sole says two million cut salons are on trial we made that referendum all together as a united people our understanding of democracy is indeed on trial and we all stand behind our government elected democratically and ratified in the forced elections of twenty seven team so catalonia on trial at three a is that how you see this trial happening right now. i feel many people are feeling this way truth is every time a catalyst have been out to the polls the pro in the pendants parties won a majority therefore when you are putting on trial all of those leaders

somehow try to implement the democratic mandate you definitely are telling those people who voted them me among them that they are not part of this and they wish there were other eek i can sing sneakily making notes what did you just write down. i wrote in down that we are more than seven million people living in california we have nearly forty seven million people living in spain so yes assuming that was true that there were two million people supporting secession they will be still in a minority i mean only the worst but tending to force all of us to follow to follow their lead. and they were using force they were using by lance and they were abusing of power they were conducting a top down process of course that. may interest you there because your you are

saying something that's not true you just said they were using force they are you are using violence can you just tell me just once once when they cuddle and government use violence to impose their policies to just one example yes. hearing that only how we have thirty thousand police is no example thank you very much police fastened with weapons who follow they tend to follow the orders of the government of the region and the region by the way that handles nearly fifty percent of the public budget in the region so this is a barrier strong government comparable to those in the united states of america and you know these are also are you are wrong go down i just ask you that in other cases i understood example the decision made that very strong government there is

no example of violence whatsoever i can smell it when you are demonstrating and some wearing the weapons the fact of wearing weapons is always a threat of pines woman ten trying to bring in sunny sunny you know from. thank you very much first of all i'd like to say i think. and it matters where that where was bringing in they are a bit outdated nowadays so now we are focusing on the trial itself and you were asking as whether that tweet saying two million cattle and i feeling judged was kind of realistic or not. i agree with a drag that many people are feeling but wary although obviously the fact that those who are being sitting in front of the children are those who actually were responsible for the facts themselves but however it's not just people who voted for point dependents who might feel this as a shameful judicial process but i think many people who are just just

consider themselves real democrats might feel ashamed by the process because what we're watching on t.v. and we're listening and following best days is that you're torn me and the prosecutors don't seem to actually half prove legal proves. showing and proving that there was violence so the judiciary process itself it's being really weak and therefore it's reinforcing the statement that many people half that this is more like a political trial than i really traditionally trial. it even mentioned that being kind of a weak leg to stand on and i wanted to share with you this tweet from someone who has cattle and politicians and civil society leaders have been in pretrial prison for over a year accused of rebellion and sedition despite these accusations the only by lynn's witness start over first twenty seventeen came from the police forces

against peaceful voter so that one person saying that there was no while and per say i'm from protesters but i want to share one i really like i just got it. she's a former minister she's not just a random person she's not even a person i'm going to play you a video coming from someone else who was not a random person and thank you for letting our audience know that because we got a big comment from someone else who is also a former string gas and is now be catalan porn minister and he said something very similar to what that tweet that here's what he told the string this is a political trial because the queues are accused of organizing a referendum of setting up a vote. it's a political trial because the private physician is led by vox which is an ultra right is an extreme spanish nationalist party it's also a political trial because their colleagues who went to other places in europe have

faced judges who have told them no you're free citizens residents think they've been in jail for more than one year without pay and it's a political trial because obviously they're accused of using violence when there was no violence everybody saw al jazeera everybody saw it there was no violence on the part of the organizers or the voters. so in the greek setting aside the violence because we've seen what the debate is there and most people are saying there was no violence on the side of the protesters he mentioned some other things there and i'm hoping that you can pick up on he says this is a political trial and part of it is this accusation on behalf of a party he calls it a cultural greatest extreme party and that is box what's your take on the trial as it stands it when it comes to who is accusing these cattle and separatist leaders of what. public prosecutions do with them what they're finding to go to dismantle all of them because there's

a. long the other thing in the law. there is also. the baathist of the state that is a special kind of. hearing in this country. and both of the founding. all all of them are defending one according to dick the economist according to the well known. newspaper the economies they are defending one of the twenty most democratic countries in the world twenty most democratic countries in the world they are defending the below and defending the constitution of the country so this is a simplicity use. this trial what we have here is simply see the use crimes and often see this coming from a regional government which has at its disposal thirty thousand polys

men and police women women as well with weapons including some weapons for iraq so we know where. looking at the web so this is not against a little serious i did you did you neutral unfolds or and also are you neutral or you are taking sides with the she says and his movement within us and all his movements because i know when i mean your mission your your i ration my feeling after killing you i don't think i'm a thousand dollars the is that thing you're on your. own. take us. talk a little bit because we're not here to talk about sun we're actually talking about thanks i already trial which many sunnies according the trial of the central let's stay on topic on route if we can thank you so much but i want i want to show you this area and this is this is really caught my eye this is from the news twitter feed these are the twelve accused what should we know about them.

yes well just let me just say something about something what with the illegal thing i said because if you start with some rankings you just are throwing zealots throwing in some some rankings we could also said spain is number fifty eight on independence of the judiciary system which is really at stake here and and by seeing this picture well what i see is a political lynching and political lynching and those running along as invasion are not there but i'll say to her if you. don't try us as a political and legal already. i don't have to speak only how tight for a moment i mean i'll take the moment i just want to find out only i'll type for a moment please please i want to find out more about these twelve. we saw the national the picture and audio was just a little bit more for us he's actually covering the trial and so to give us an

insight about who are these twelve people who are being charged with rebellion who are they. so two of them are the two former leaders of two of the main civic organizations in catalonia put out an assembly and i see another catalona and they are being charged with the sedition which entails of the violence because of the organization of mass demonstration on september twentieth which it is true there were two police cars that eventually after many hours of protest and up ended up destroyed because so many people stepped on them but that was beyond the thing that happened and by the way those police cars were empty and there was nobody in there just sitting there somebody it was wondering for the rest the red ones where it was are left are they were abundant or they can buy a. house. there where is that what is the cost of the police. any

weapons come on you're just. going to. but i'm going to i'm going to move on to new weapons and fighters but it's one aspect of this trial it's a very important one i hear your take i want to move on these are. let me just show you a couple of the thoughts from people who are living in barcelona. and their take on what's happening right now as far as this trial is concerned let's have a look. and see we think it is a trial for political reasons we think that the prison sentences they are asking for are completely unfair so let me see if i missed. this trial we want to give an appearance of normality but there have been many argue there. sonia this idea about this trial and being fat white why would that even be a question. the problem. and rick was spain is

a democracy and we usually have like good standards for judiciary system however in this case there's been many irregularities from the beginning there's quite a big consensus on low experts and professors and economics saying these people should not have been in preventive beno at all is not and they've been told and they got stage no one yet does not while you were speaking i want you to take just to organise one and these are actually by you and i know what to tell you i have to be you know not i actually my analogy laird only got out late i wake just just i'm going to come back to you see the sun is going to stop so i'm just allowed to finish up and then we can get there much sooner i am not comfortable with you keep interrupting everybody so that we can get to your point we have more time so go ahead thank you cammy. so the fact is that first there were kept on preventive

bail and many professors even signed. manifesto on brad saying that there was no point for them to be in preventive care because they were leaders and very well known people so that they didn't fit any of the three conditions to justify a preventive bail in spain which is there is the danger of this person like fleeing away there is a danger of this person committing the crime again or there is a danger of this person destroying judiciary probes. so that's why many law experts were saying this was very irregular and then this is going through criminal law so they are being kept in jails with dangerous people that have committed criminal acts remember i'm sorry so many experts are also saying the things that they did wrong and some of them were definitely against what the state hot band or hot

defined as legal. they think should go through a minister to flow or civil law or not let me clean it is something on route this idea about families can this trial be forgotten. yes. it was necessary it was a city to to have them in preventive bile because there were some other politicians including the president of the region that flight to germany for or belgium and then germany and then belgium again because of him and some others that flight also to sizzle and. they are quite comfortable there by the way it was necessary to prevent all this to fly to. scrimp legally according to. to pay no law to do these kind of preventive actions when there is ever such

a risk it's an especially when there are so serious crimes so serious crimes involve in this case very serious crimes voting limousin of a serious resigned yes no not voting but is boating in itself that i'm not one of the time then then what was a crime please. the congress used to be a judge there are many many hundred two hundred two way the way you were pretending to look you've already set them free already and now i'm not just perhaps i'm not. i'm alone yeah so i'm going to jump in here because i want to share a comment that we got from you to. live online this is someone who says i think spain holding these people as political prisoners that's what he calls them well boosts the nationalist movement for catalonia so i want to push forward into what this will move mean for the movement we got a video comment from someone who speaks about the future and what this potentially

could mean this is a political scientist not offend lennon here's what he told the string if the sentences in the council on trial or anything else but a complete rejection or jacey's. of course irreversible harm for common standards relations further complicate any hopes of a political solution to this conflict and if the sentence is already harsh. i'm sure it will legitimize the independence of catalonia and the current government will will move towards certain terminations so he lays out pretty clearly in their answer what do you take what's your take on on his thoughts on what this could mean for the future. well there's something there something in. international law called just cause when your when you will start and try and argue for the right of self-determination or some some some some some argue for

a primary some of their mission love which means which means that you should be able to go for self-determination for referendum no matter what if there is a majority and there's a second set of scholars that argue that you should have a just cause which means that there should be some sort of a tax or there should be some sort of injustices being thrown at the population it's obvious that so far in catalonia they'd have democracy on its side there's been. substantial majorities in catalan parliament during over the years in favor of holding a summit or mission referendum and now there's this this is this these are the sure this is a judgement this trial could add some extra reasons for those who who argue catalonia

also has a just cause to appeal to international the international community and to try and . win a third referendum or to try to declare independence because what is funny stays in the spanish government is showing is that the spanish government has no interest whatsoever in the goetia hating any political exit to this conflict which is a conflict that even and rick should agree with me that exists on this i want to play you a little clip from the secretary general of spartan writing partner strong and then just come off the back of us have a listen to the second general fox. even though to most on july fourth up we will try with the full force of the law that's in the end condemn the tree sentences are handed down in accordance with our indictments and in accordance with the very serious crimes that's happing committed and we will do so always thinking that this is what spain needs that justice be done and that never again the coup plotters can

from an institution put at risk the rule of law and the unity of spain both belong to a grassroots organization called rule of law this idea that the trial this trial might be an idea that people want to succeed catalonia to succeed from the rest aspiring to feel that this is that of a conversation it's done it's the end of that conversation i am very much in favor of the rule of law. and in favor of a democratic constitution like this but this was this enough nineteen seventy eight this gentleman that you have just shown he is speaking as a spokesperson for a party that is not it's not that element because he doesn't have even the presentation at the spanish parliament what really matters here is what is what the

the public prosecutors that. there was i think all of us all the spanish people and of the country that must be respected by the way and this is very important in international law to respect their. so but i think especially the democratic country of every single country in the world and this guy doesn't represent the spanish people he's not even in the parliament so that wasn't the question i asked the question about succession is it over this is true and that question. well ok well this is this is this is a bit of a speculative but my guess is that this is not finished it's not finished going this is going to take long still thank you for us i want to bring up a name that we had not mentioned yet but of course was very important in this movement and that is a push among the former president who flied is in exile now he writes on twitter

the spanish parliament has confirmed that the organization of a referendum without authorization is not a crime so why the cotton leaders face charges of rebellion that could represent twenty five years in prison if there is no criminal offense what are our leaders doing in prison sonia what is public opinion like and catalonia on push him out and if he should do their education be basing this with the rest of the separatist leaders i'm not sure i can speak on behalf of the cattle and. some people felt somehow betray. he flaying some people felt that it was a personal decision and that it was fine however what seems quite clear is that for a big part of the catalog of relation he is still the legitimate president because he had to leave. for the special conditions but he was the elected president and i think that is what many people feel however i would like to just say if you

allow me that from the video you just showed us it is very irregular in europe in all european judiciary systems to half a political party sitting at the prosecutor's bench and in this case. it is an far right party that is really acting as a prosecutor and i think that is like a very special thing from this trial and this judiciary process that many people cannot really probably understand from the outside or at this from abroad we have this far right man that is sitting and accusing democratic leaders who have chosen so no action on reak thank you so much helping us understand what is going on from your various different perspectives about the catalonia trial we really appreciate your time i sure will be checking a review in the future that's all for today's show but send your comments your show idols to us at the stream you can find us on twitter you tube out is there dot com

forward slash the stream see you next. to. to. my. march on al-jazeera maggi have fun debates discusses and dissect the big issues of our times in head to heads thailand votes on march the twenty fourth and its first general election since the twenty fourteen military coup join us for special coverage in a powerful new film residents of occupied jerusalem share their thoughts on that hostage present and future deal or no deal what does the future hold for breaks it will bring you the latest as the march the twenty ninth deadline for the u.k.

to leave the edges nira and we examine the development of an unusual alliance between radical buddhist monks and the military in million mom march on al-jazeera . when you're from a neighborhood known as a hotbed of radicalism. you have to fight to defy stereotypes. but on the morning call shotgun the stories we don't often hear told by the people who live them we don't know much joy what led. some of the boxset this is year. on al-jazeera. al-jazeera where ever you are.

between two thousand and two thousand and seven the one million racist murders in different parts of germany but the police were painfully slow to track down the killer. al-jazeera world reveals the truth about the deaths linked by a single weapon the involvement of the far right and the serious political fallout that ensued the cheska murders case solved on al-jazeera. oh ole. zero. fourteen here at the headquarters in doha. welcome to the news grid i saw. a village in eastern syria is about all that's left

of the self-proclaimed us back forces are getting ready to clear the town of its remaining fighters hoping to rescue as many civilians as they can from first. it is one of the worst fires in bangladesh in years at least seventy people killed after a blaze. in the capital dhaka the fire broke out in a part of the old city and quickly spread. chemicals. could this be the future of mobile phones is betting on it but this latest innovation comes with a hefty price tag is a folding phone enough to let customers part with their cash in what is already a saturated market and as a bride is told. there's a lot of talk. by the women who join the group should be allowed to return to their home countries and. tag.

the news we live on air and streaming online through you tube facebook live and dot com good to have you with us on this day the battle for control of the last remaining pocket of territory inside syria is underway us back forces including the syrian democratic forces are facing fierce resists. from around three hundred i saw fighters in the eastern village above whose on wednesday more than two thousand men women and children were evacuated from the talis go live to imran khan who is in gaziantep on the turkey syria border for so iran what is the latest we're hearing on those efforts to flush out remaining iso fighters from bug who's well over the last few days we've had to hit a major problem with the fact that all civilian still in the village now on

wednesday the managed to truck out at least two thousand civilians amongst them some ice and fighters as well who allegedly surrendered now on thursday morning we heard from mr bali the s.d.f. spokesman he said they were going to send more trucks into who's to to pick up civilians and bring them out however those trucks reportedly have come back and he handed the civilians are still there just to give you the architecture of the area itself village is actually almost completely destroyed now i saw knew this fight was coming so that had a very long time to prepare for it what they've done is they've dug tunnels underneath the village and that's where the hard core of the fight is on the outskirts of the village there is tented camping site where some of the civilians are staying those ones that haven't been able to get out because isis simply have let them remember it's in isis interest to have civilians there as human shields

because it does slow down the fighting and that's a real concern for the s.d.f. who have long said that they have a real problems with the keeping the civilians and also the u.n. have raised concerns about this as well it slowed down the fighting have the s.d.f. of very confident ernie fighting now over a square kilometer that's all that's left of her to remember this is a group that controls huge swathes of syria nearly a third of iraq and iran do we have any idea how many civilians are still trapped there right now. at the very beginning of the operation yes the f commanders told us that they were least six thousand civilians throughout the operation as they nearly two weeks now they've been busing and trucking people out of areas so we're not really sure how many are left with in the village itself estimates range between six hundred to a thousand to fifteen hundred so it's impossible to say certainly the number is significant enough to have slowed down the battle all right imran

khan live for us there in gaziantep thanks jim now one hundred fifty eisel fighters detained in syria have been handed over to iraqi security forces it happened in anbar province the fighters had earlier surrendered to the kurdish syrian democratic forces and the iraqi military is on high alert for any eisel fighters who try to escape across the border they're concerned they could try and regroup in areas i saw once controlled in northern and western iraq strafford has more from mosul. iraqi forces farm altars at eisel targets across the syrian border the village above guus the last eisel controlled territory in syria isn't far from here the mainly kurdish u.s. backed syrian democratic forces or s.d.f. estimate there are around three hundred eisel fight is still inside the iraqi

military and pro iran armed groups are determined to stop them escaping across into iraq. they've set up cameras around ten kilometers inside syrian territory to monitor eisel fighters as the s.d.f. offensive goes on while the iraqi military operation against eisel across the border in syria continue we on this side are fortifying our positions we have installed thermal surveillance cameras across the border inside syria territory there is joint cooperation with us the pro iran armed groups and the tribal sheikhs we are getting aerial support from the u.s. led coalition u.s. intelligence says i still evolved from the last remnants of al qaida in iraq and by two thousand and fifteen it controlled around ninety thousand kilometers of territory across syria and iraq an international coalition of more than seventy countries has been involved in the fight to reclaim that territory this is all the

remains of the nuri mosque where more than four of coffee years ago. the declared himself if all of what he described as the i still caliphate now is fighting continues on the syrian side of the border against the last pockets of eisel fight is there there are fears of i saw sleeper cells among iraqis living close by. these are iraqi military checkpoints around the town of heat in western anbar province. weisel was defeated here in two thousand and fifteen but sleeper cells have kidnapped and murdered a number of people in recent weeks. site all modern his wife's with their grandchildren the home they both suffered under the brutality of isis rule terrified by the thought the group could ever one day return to. the

more s.d.f. in syria have pushed toward the border the more difficult it is become for iraqis to work in the countryside nearby there i saw cells in the desert around here it's terrible that i kidnap innocent people the government and the army need to thoroughly search this area because i so are still hiding here the people here have suffered so much on their i solo already. the head of iraq's intelligence says eisel fight is a regrouping and recruiting.