Imprisoned Catalan leaders begin hunger strike

<p>Two imprisoned Catalan leaders began a hunger strike this week to protest against what they described as unfair treatment by Spain.&nbsp;</p> <p>Jordi Sanchez, the head of the grassroots independence movement Assemblea Nacional Catalana (ANC) and Jordi Turull, former minister in Catalan’s regional government, condemned the Spanish government's treatment of them.&nbsp;</p> <p>A lawyer representing them, Jordi Pina told reporters that the pair accused Spain’s Constitutional Court of preventing their appeals from being heard by the European Court of Human Rights.&nbsp;</p> <p>Spain’s central government has rejected claims of unfair treatment and maintained that they would enjoy a fair trail.&nbsp;</p> <p>"We operate under the rule of law, we can respect their personal decision [to go on a hunger strike] but we must also understand that we are all equal under the rule of law," Carmen Calvo, the deputy prime minister said.</p> <p>The two leaders were imprisoned last year when Catalan held an unofficial referendum and declared independence which the Spanish state claimed was illegal.&nbsp;</p> <p>Spain responded by Madrid taking control over Catalan and charging the leaders of the independence movement with abuse of public funds and rebellion.&nbsp;</p> <p>The Supreme Court has ordered 18 separatist leaders to stand trial. Sanchez and Turull are two of the nine leaders are already imprisoned awaiting a trial which will occur in early 2019.&nbsp;</p> <p>Sanchez faces a jail prospect of 17 years and Turull faces 16 years.<br> &nbsp;</p>