Court accepts Catalan language but rejects simultaneous translation

Day 3 of the independence trial started on Thursday at 10am with the judge's statement on the preliminary questions raised by the defenses and prosecutors on Tuesday and Wednesday.

During his statement, the Supreme Court's head judge, Manuel Marchena, greenlighted the defendants speaking in Catalan during the proceedings if they want to use this language "for emotional reasons."

Yet, Marchena rejected simultaneous translation into Spanish, as some of the prosecuted leaders had requested. Instead, the translation will be consecutive in the event of someone choosing to speak in Catalan.

The judge also admitted the request that defendants sit next to their lawyers during the trial if they so wish.

After Marchena's statement, the trial will start in earnest, with the questioning of the first defendant, former vice president Oriol Junqueras.