“None of the arguments keeping them in prison are valid,” says Catalan officials lawyer

Defense teams of former ministers and civic leaders ask Spanish Supreme Court to review the reasons for keeping them in custody

Catalan government spokesperson Jordi Turull speaks at a press conference on October 1 (by ACN)
Catalan government spokesperson Jordi Turull speaks at a press conference on October 1 (by ACN) / ACN

ACN | Barcelona

November 28, 2017 04:06 PM

“None of the arguments keeping them in prison are valid,” said the lawyer of former Catalan ministers held in custody. Jordi Pina, the lawyer representing the jailed officials from the PDeCAT party and the pro-independence civic leader, Jordi Sànchez, argued yesterday that the reasons given by the judge for keeping his clients locked up, such as the risk of them fleeing or destroying evidence, are no longer relevant.

In a letter to the Spanish Supreme Court, Pina requested that the judge summon his clients and suspend the 6.2 million euro bail imposed by the Spanish National Court. The Spanish Supreme Court, which has now taken over the cases, mostly released the members of the Catalan parliament bureau on bail.   

“Committed to dialogue and political negotiation”

Meanwhile, Andreu van den Eynde, the lawyer of the former Catalan ministers in the ERC party who were also jailed sent a letter to the Spanish Supreme Court requesting that his clients be summoned and giving arguments why the decision to keep them locked up should be reviewed.