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| Joaquim Forn | |
|---|---|
| Name | Joaquim Forn |
| Birth date | 1964 |
| Birth place | Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain |
| Occupation | Politician, civil servant, lawyer |
| Party | Catalan European Democratic Party (PDeCAT) |
Joaquim Forn is a Catalan politician and former civil servant who served as Minister of the Interior of Catalonia and as a member of the Parliament of Catalonia. He became a prominent figure during the 2017 Catalan independence process and subsequently faced prosecution, pretrial detention, and later release. His career intersects with institutions and figures across Spanish and Catalan public life.
Born in Barcelona, Forn studied law and trained as a civil servant in Catalonia, participating in training associated with Autonomous Community institutions and municipal administration in Barcelona. He worked within municipal services linked to Barcelona City Council and pursued studies that connected him with professional networks around University of Barcelona, Escola d'Administració Pública de Catalunya, and law faculties interacting with the Spanish legal system and administrative frameworks of Catalonia. His formative years brought him into contact with figures and institutions in Catalonia such as Convergència Democràtica de Catalunya, municipal leaders in Ciutat Vella, and civic organizations connected to the Catalan cultural movement.
Forn's political trajectory included participation in municipal politics with ties to political formations like Convergència Democràtica de Catalunya and successor parties such as Catalan European Democratic Party. He served as a councillor in Barcelona City Council during administrations associated with Ada Colau and predecessors connected to Jordi Hereu and Xavier Trias, engaging with municipal portfolios that interfaced with institutions such as the Guàrdia Urbana de Barcelona and public safety bodies. Later he was elected to the Parliament of Catalonia where he worked alongside figures from parliamentary groups including representatives from Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya, CUP, and parties in opposition like Partido Popular and Ciudadanos. During this period he interacted with parliamentary committees, regional ministries such as the Department of the Interior (Catalonia), and executives led by Presidents like Carles Puigdemont.
As Minister of the Interior, Forn was responsible for the Mossos d'Esquadra and coordination with public order agencies including municipal police forces like the Guàrdia Urbana de Barcelona. His tenure involved operational relations with national institutions such as the Ministry of the Interior (Spain), coordination with judiciary bodies including the Audiencia Nacional (Spain), and engagement with political actors like Quim Torra and members of the Catalan Government of 2016–2017. Forn's ministry navigated events tied to large civic mobilizations around the 2017 Catalan referendum and interactions with security decisions that implicated the Civil Guard (Spain) and the National Police Corps (Spain). Policies and actions during his ministry were debated in venues like the Parliament of Catalonia and prompted commentary from Spanish parties including Partido Socialista Obrero Español and Vox.
During the lead-up to and aftermath of the 2017 Catalan independence referendum, Forn was among regional ministers implicated in organizing or facilitating the vote, an act contested by the Spanish Constitutional Court and prosecuted under provisions of the Código Penal (Spain). He was investigated alongside others in the Catalan cabinet and political leaders such as Carles Puigdemont, Oriol Junqueras, and municipal figures including Ada Colau's contemporaries who took varied positions. The prosecution involved institutions such as the Public Prosecutor's Office (Spain), judges from the Superior Court of Justice of Catalonia, and actions by the Civil Guard (Spain) that included seizures and investigations tied to referendum logistics. Political responses included measures by the Parliament of Catalonia and appeals to European bodies like the European Court of Human Rights by some defendants.
Following indictment, Forn was detained and held in pretrial custody in facilities under Spanish penitentiary administration while legal proceedings advanced in courts including the Audiencia Nacional (Spain) and the Supreme Court of Spain. The trial addressed charges that aligned with prosecutions of Catalan leaders such as Oriol Junqueras and others from the 2017 cabinet, with legal debates invoking provisions of Spanish criminal law and constitutional rulings from the Spanish Constitutional Court. The cases drew international attention from bodies and media in Brussels, Strasbourg, and capitals like Madrid and Barcelona, prompting statements from political parties including Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya and organizations such as Amnesty International. Sentencing, appeals, and remand conditions were contested through legal avenues in national courts and through petitions to supranational institutions.
After judicial developments including appeals and provisional measures, Forn was released from prison and resumed political and civic activities, participating in debates within the Parliament of Catalonia and interacting with parties such as Catalan European Democratic Party and civic platforms associated with the independence movement. His post-release period involved engagements with legal advocacy groups advising on appeals to the European Court of Human Rights and collaborations with municipal leaders from Barcelona and civil society organizations active in the aftermath of the 2017 events. Forn's later public role continued to intersect with regional institutions including the Generalitat de Catalunya and national political actors in Madrid, shaping ongoing discussions about autonomy, legal reform, and electoral politics in Catalonia.
Category:People from Barcelona Category:Catalan politicians Category:1964 births