Barcelona Court Opens Investigation Into Alleged Illegal Detention of 600 Singers at Sagrada Familia During Pope Leo XIV’s Visit
A Barcelona instructional court has accepted a formal complaint concerning the alleged illegal detention of approximately 600 singers at the Sagrada Familia during the consecration of the Torre de Jesús by Pope Leo XIV in June 2025, according to reporting by El Confidencial. The judge has opened preliminary proceedings and ordered witness testimony as the case moves forward.
What the Complaint Alleges
The legal filing, submitted by the Acció Cassandra legal group, alleges that the singers — some of whom were minors — were detained after police surrounded the choir and evacuated them through a side exit to prevent a planned disruption. According to the complaint, the singers had intended to deploy Estelada separatist flags hidden in their sheet music and to replace part of the performance with ‘Els Segadors,’ Catalonia’s official anthem, during the papal ceremony. The police held the singers outside for approximately 15 minutes while the Pope, the Spanish royal family, and other officials left the basilica. The musical portion of the event was reportedly replaced with a pre-recorded track.
Charges and Legal Strategy
Acció Cassandra, led by lawyers Lluís Gibert and Josep Rosell, has filed charges including illegal detention by a public official, administrative prevarication, violations of fundamental rights, hate crime, and ideological-national discrimination. The lawyers argue the encapsulation and expulsion of the choristers constituted an ideologically motivated police operation rather than a routine security measure.
“The orders must not be obeyed when they are illegal. The focus now shifts from the officers on the street to the commanders who designed what amounts to an ideological raid against a cultural group,” said Josep Rosell in a public statement.
The judge has requested security footage from inside the basilica and from the surrounding street perimeter, as well as identification of the police operation’s chain of command from both the Mossos d’Esquadra and the Cuerpo Nacional de Policía.
Broader Political Context
Acció Cassandra is one of the most active legal groups aligned with Catalan independence causes. The organization has pursued cases involving alleged linguistic discrimination, hate crimes linked to Catalan identity, and has represented defendants in independence-related protests. The current complaint is part of a broader strategy to have Catalans recognized as a “national minority” under international law, which could open the door to complaints before UN bodies and international courts.
The group has also been involved in high-profile incidents including the Elche-Barça match where a minor was allegedly assaulted, and the Alcorcón-CE Europa match where a fan’s Estelada flag was removed. They previously filed a complaint against presenter Marc Giró over remarks tied to comments by writer Brigitte Vasallo about the Catalan language.
What Happens Next
With the court’s acceptance of the complaint, the investigation enters a new phase. Lawyers Gibert and Rosell have indicated they will pursue the identification of commanding officers and use the requested footage as evidence. The case raises significant questions about the balance between security operations and freedom of expression during high-profile international events on Spanish territory.
The Sagrada Familia basilica, designed by Antoni Gaudí, remains one of Barcelona’s most visited landmarks and a frequent setting for politically charged events given Catalonia’s ongoing independence movement and the tension between regional identity and Spanish national unity.
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