August Gil Matamala

August Gil i Matamala is a Catalan human rights lawyer noted for defending political dissidents, trade unionists and pro-independence activists from the Franco era to the present. A prominent labour lawyer before the Tribunal de Orden Público, he later represented Catalan and Basque activists, including those detained in Operation Garzón. He served as president of the Association of European Democratic Lawyers and has been active in left-wing political initiatives. His honours include the Creu de Sant Jordi (2007), the Lluís Companys Memorial Award (2013) and Barcelona's Gold Medal of Civic Merit (2019).