The High Court of Justice of Catalonia convicts Bernat Solé of disobedience for his actions as mayor of Agramunt during the organisation and celebration of the 1 October referendum

The Civil and Criminal Chamber of the High Court of Justice of Catalonia condemns Bernat Solé, minister of Foreign Affairs, Institutional Relations and Transparency of the Catalan Government, for the crime of disobedience and sentences him to a year of special disqualification from holding elected public office and government or administrative functions, in addition to a fine of 16,800 euros. Bernat Solé is convicted for his active participation in the promotion, organisation and staging of the 1 October referendum in his capacity of mayor of Agramunt and for making municipal premises available to the Catalan Government as voting centres. Bernat Solé is the first mayor to be convicted in relation to the organisation of the 1 October referendum following the order issued by the State Prosecutor’s Office on 13 September 2017 to investigate and hear the testimony of 712 of the mayors who supported the 1 October referendum. Following the sentence, and despite it not being final, Solé renounces his intention to run for head of the Republican party in the Lleida constituency in the parliamentary elections on 14 February. Solé lodges an appeal against the judgment before the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court dismisses the appeal on 17 November 2022, during his term as Representative of the Catalan Government in Lleida. Solé quits shortly thereafter.