Jailed Catalan leaders may be freed

Release on bail could turn the tide for regional polls’ separatist parties

Madrid: Separatist leaders who were jailed pending a probe into their role in Catalonia’s independence drive are to be questioned again by a judge in Madrid who could free them.

Any release on bail would mark a turn in the campaign for regional elections on Dec 21, particularly for separatist parties who have repeatedly accused Madrid of taking “political prisoners” and “repression” after their attempt to declare unilat- eral independence failed.

“State repression is the mobilising element of the independence movement right now,” said Oriol Bartomeus, politics professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona.

“Once they no longer have political prisoners, they will have to change their campaign.”

Those who will appear before Judge Pablo Llarena of the Supreme Court yesterday are Catalonia’s deposed vice- president Oriol Junqueras, seven other former regional ministers and the leaders of two pro-independence civic associations.

They were due to appear at 9.30am in the Madrid court, which has taken on the investigation into Catalan leaders, most of whom are accused of rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds.

Until last week, Spain’s National Court, which takes on major crimi- nal cases, had been in charge of the case and had sent Junqueras and his former ministers to jail pending the probe on Nov 2.

Before that, the two leaders of the pro- independence ANC and Omnium Cultural associations, Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Cuixart, had also been sent to prison by the same court.

However, Llarena of the Supreme Court decided the members of Catalonia’s parliament he had been investigating on similar charges could remain free as the probe continues.

Now he has taken on the probe of the other separatist leaders, they hope he will make the same decision for them.

The jailing of separatist leaders has caused outrage in Catalonia, where pro-independence supporters have organised rallies and wear yellow ribbons as a sign of solidarity.