Spain Imprisons Catalan Separatists

The Spanish Supreme Court has sentenced 9 former ministers of the Catalan regional government to political prison sentences varying between 9-13 years each. As a supporter of separatism everywhere, this news saddens me, though in the end I think this action will backfire on the Spanish state as it will only deepen the mistrust Catalan separatists feel towards the government in Madrid. Regional identity and local cultures are something worth fighting to preserve.