After the sentence in 2019 trial of Catalonia independence leaders Sánchez confirmed its support for the sentence, and denied possibility of any indulgence, proclaiming that the sentence should be served by convicts in its entirety, in spite of that two years later Sánchez granted indulgence to all convicts. Shortly after granting the indulgence, Sánchez stressed that despite of that there never will be a referendum for independence of Catalonia, in response he was mocked by Gabriel Rufian and other Catalan politics, who reminded that two years before he claimed the same with regards to the indulgence, and insinuated that it is just a matter of time Sánchez will break his latest claims.