Jailed Catalan vice-president in court to seek release
MADRID: Spain’s Supreme Court on Thursday considered an appeal by former Catalan vice president Oriol Junqueras against his jailing while he is investigated for rebellion and sedition over the region’s independence drive.
Junqueras, in custody since Nov 2, arrived at the Madrid courthouse in a police van to appear before a panel of three judges who will decide whether to keep him in jail or grant bail. His appearance in court follows snap regional elections in Catalonia on Dec 21 which saw separatist parties, including a ticket led by his leftist ERC party, retain their parliamentary majority.
Madrid had called the poll after Catalan lawmakers declared independence on Oct 27, triggering Spain’s worst political crisis since democracy was reinstated following the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy then sacked Catalonia’s government, dissolved its parliament and stripped the region of its treasured autonomy.
Catalonia’s president at the time, Carles Puigdemont, left for Brussels. He now faces arrest in Spain over charges linked to rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds while other independence leaders, including Junqueras, are behind Spanish bars pending trial.
Supreme Court judge Pablo Llarena last month refused to grant Junqueras bail, arguing there was a risk that he would repeat the crimes he is investigated for but the former Catalan vice-president appealed the ruling. — AFP