Separatist leader banned from parliament

Spain’s Supreme Court has turned down a request from a jailed Catalan separatist leader to attend the north-eastern region’s parliament, where politicians are due to vote on whether to make him president of Catalonia.

Judge Pablo Llarena wrote in a ruling that there was a risk Jordi Sanchez would repeat the offences which have landed him in jail.

Mr Sanchez has been held in prison near since October. He is being detained while Mr Llarena investigates whether he orchestrated protests that hindered officials trying to stop a court-banned Catalan independence referendum. Catalonia’s parliament wants to vote on Mr Sanchez as leader on Monday. The Spanish government argues anyone facing charges cannot be elected by the Catalan parliament.