AMNESTY International has written to the Spanish court where Catalan independence leaders will be tried, seeking to be an observer at the proceedings to ensure the defendants receive a fair trial.

The human rights charity has repeatedly called for the release of the pro-independence leaders who have been in pre-trial detention – some for more than a year.

Several of those who are in jail had requested that five international observers be present at their trials in the Supreme Court and Amnesty said it wanted to be there.

READ MORE: Pedro Sanchez faces protest from MEPs over jailed indy leaders

The referendum was also raised yesterday by Human Rights Watch (HRW) in its World Report 2019, in which it was critical of Spain for failing to fully investigate the police operation aimed at stopping the referendum.

HRW had previously urged Spain to launch an official investigation into the police violence to stop people voting on the day of the referendum, images of which went viral on social media.

Its report said no police officer had been convicted for “excessive use of violence during the crack-down”.

CEO Kenneth Roth said: “We have found the use of excessive force by the police and that is why we have emphasised in this report that there has not been a judicial response … there was an abuse, but no-one was convicted.”

The report also highlighted the case of rapper Valtònyc, who is exiled in Belgium after the Spanish Supreme Court imposed a jail term for inciting terrorism and insulting the crown with his lyrics.

Meanwhile, the arrests by the National Police of 16 mainly left-wing CUP protesters in Girona – including two town mayors – were highlighted at a meeting between Catalan vice-president Pere Aragonès, his government spokesperson Elsa Artadi and Spanish vice-president Carmen Calvo.

However, Calvo said it was a question for “the General Council of the Judiciary and not to the Ministry of the Interior”.