Catalan leaders' defense teams claim independence trial is 'political'

The independence trial due to start on Tuesday in Spain's Supreme Court is a "political" trial in a court that is neither competent to try the case nor impartial, according to the defense lawyers of some of the Catalan leaders in the dock.

In a news conference on Monday, the lawyers of Oriol Junqueras, Raül Romeva, Jordi Cuixart, Josep Rull, Jordi Sànchez, Jordi Turull, and Carme Forcadell rejected the charges of rebellion and sedition against their clients and called for them to be acquitted.

Organized by the Òmnium Cultural pro-independence pressure group, whose president, Jordi Cuixart, is one of the leaders being prosecuted, the news conference in Madrid was attended by Catalan News along with journalists from 40 international media outlets.