Scottish ministers ask UK Government to condemn Catalonia violence

Scottish Ministers have written to the UK Government urging them to condemn `unequivocally'' the violence in Catalonia's independence referendum.

Fiona Hyslop, Holyrood's External Affairs Secretary, voiced disappointment over the Westminster government's response to the crackdown which took place during Sunday's vote and has penned a letter to Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson calling for a `more robust statement' from UK ministers.

Hundreds of people were injured when national police tried to stop voting in the poll which was deemed illegal by the Madrid government and the country's top court, but was backed by the Catalan regional authorities.

Ms Hyslop told the Scottish Parliament that the Scottish Government is very concerned'' about recent events in Catalonia.

She said: `The violent scenes witnessed on Sunday were shocking and unnecessary. This is a view shared amongst the international community.

`The Scottish Government are particularly disappointed by the response of the UK Government to the violent scenes.

`Yesterday I wrote to the Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson urging the UK, as a friend and ally of Spain, to issue a more robust statement unequivocally condemning the use of violence by Spanish police to suppress the peaceful expression of political views in Catalonia, and communicating in the strongest possible terms our serious concerns.

`The Scottish Government now hope that there is a process of dialogue that will allow both the Spanish and Catalonian Governments to find a way forward that respects the rule of law, respects democracy, but also respects the right of the people of Catalonia to decide the future of their country.''

Ms Hyslop spoke in response to a question from SNP MSP Sandra Whyte, who said she witnessed for herself `the horrific violence by Spanish police against innocent civilians exercising their democratic right to vote'.

The External Affairs Secretary said the situation in Spain is `a basic issue of human rights and democracy'.

`The ability of people to express their political views without fear of violence is something that all of us as internationalists and, most importantly, as democrats must uphold,' she said.

She went on: `It's not our job to tell the people of Catalonia how to vote, but they most certainly should have the right to be allowed to vote.'

Speaking in the chamber, Conservative MSP Jackson Carlaw - a member of Holyrood's Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Relations Committee - suggested there was `little rational' in the thinking of the Spanish authorities and government in relation to the weekend's events.

He suggested their actions will have proved to be wholly counter-productive' and aredeeply damaging potentially to the reputation of Spain, a country for which many of us have the fondest and most high regard'.