Spain: Spanish judge prosecutes Puigdemont’s lawyer Gonzalo Boye

19/12/20

A Spanish criminal court has taken the decision to prosecute Gonzalo Boye, the lawyer of former Catalan presidents Carles Puigdemont and Quim Torra, on suspicion that he is connected with a drug trafficking case. 

National Audience judge María Tardón, a former Madrid city councillor for Spain’s Popular Party, considers that the lawyer committed an alleged crime of money laundering, involving the funds that came from a criminal organization dedicated to drug trafficking and led by José Ramón Prado Burgaño, also known as Sito Miñanco, for whom Boye acted as a lawyer. He is also being prosecuted for forgery.

Boye has repeatedly denied having any connection with the case, stating that one of the lawyers who has been prosecuted, Manuel Puente Saavedra, “falsely” incriminated him in a statement that allowed Puente Saavedra to be released in 2019.

Spanish “lawfare” and “the rattling of gowns”

Catalan president in exile, Carles Puigdemont, came out in defence of Boye, and attributed the decision of the National Audienc court to “lawfare”, the practice of using legal systems to achieve a partisan goal. “Everyone knows perfectly well what all this is about. A shame, as a result of a certain sector of the judiciary sinking into in the mud of lawfare. A classic case. All my support, friend Gonzalo Boye,” said Puigdemont. “Thank you, President, we continue” the lawyer replied.

[…]

https://www.elnacional.cat/en/politics/spanish-judge-prosecutes-puigdemont-lawyer-gonzalo-boye_567111_102.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gonzalo_Boye

https://www.elnacional.cat/ca/politica/audiencia-nacional-processa-gonzalo-boye_567033_102.html (CATALAN)

https://www.vilaweb.cat/noticies/relator-onu-independencia-judicial-denuncia-persecucio-boye/

https://www.elnacional.cat/ca/politica/associacions-internacionals-referencia-denuncien-persecucio-boye_578469_102.html

https://www.elnacional.cat/ca/politica/boye-suport-internacional-processament-injust-origen-politic_576840_102.html

https://www.lasexta.com/noticias/nacional/villarejo-ofrecio-secretos-de-estado-a-gonzalo-boye-abogado-de-puigdemont_2021012660107c1da81ee90001d6faed.html (ESPANOL)

https://www.elconfidencial.com/espana/2021-01-22/boye-procesado-por-el-blanqueo-a-minanco-aporta-72-paginas-de-pruebas-para-defenderse_2918496/

El ex presidente de la Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos defiende a Gonzalo Boye

https://www.naciodigital.cat/noticia/214464/boye-denuncia-davant-jutgessa-persecucio-simplement-exercir-advocat

https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gonzalo_Boye

#España: Los Principios Básicos de #ONU sobre Funcion de Abogados obligan a los Estados a garantizar el libre desempeño de abogados, sin intimidaciones o ser identificados con las causas de sus clientes. Hago un llamado a respetar el trabajo del abogado #GonzaloBoye

— Diego García-Sayán (@UNIndepJudges) January 29, 2021

1/2 Again we stand in solidarity with @boye_g for the attacks against him by Spanish authorities. We are calling the #UN @UNIndepJudges to urge #Spain to protect lawyer’s rights and independence! @AED_EDL @Asso_Sherpa @BillBowring @HansGaasbeek @florianborg @rav_gs @suigenerisjen

— ECCHR (@ECCHRBerlin) January 29, 2021

2/2 Spanish authorities have continously attacked @boye_g assumingly based on his representation of Catalan leaders. These attacks & unsubstantiated criminal charges have the sole aim to discrediting him as lawyer. This is unacceptable.@UNIndepJudges @suigenerisjen

— ECCHR (@ECCHRBerlin) January 29, 2021

El relator de l’ONU sobre la independència judicial denuncia la persecució contra @boye_g https://t.co/2IA4w3Z3vV

— Toni Roderic 🌻🎗🇨🇭🇩🇪🇧🇪🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 (@TRoderic) January 30, 2021

La investigació de Gonzalo Boye, per part de l’Audiència Nacional, està mobilitzant diverses associacions d’advocats de referència internacionals així com de defensa dels drets humans i contra la repressió. https://t.co/EGWwpGzSCY

— ANC Luxemburg (@ANCLux) January 30, 2021

Tagged: Catalonia, Spain, UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers