Catalan Parliament awards gold medals to Pilarín Bayés and Pere Portabella

The Catalan Parliament awarded gold medals to illustrator Pilarín Bayés and filmmaker Pere Portabella.

It also recognised the Centre Excursionista de Catalunya and groups representing people persecuted under Franco's rule.

Those groups include the Associació Catalana de Persones Ex-preses Polítiques del Franquisme and the Associació Pro-Memòria als Immolats per la Llibertat a Catalunya.

The parliament's governing board approved the awards unanimously, in a decision announced by its president, Josep Rull.

The Medal of Honour has been awarded since 2000, and this legislative term the ceremony was separated from Catalonia's Diada celebrations to give it more prominence.

Since last year, the parliament has decided to award two medals each time, one to an organisation and one to a person, for their work or contribution to Catalan society.