Most jailed leaders running in campaign request freedom

The defense lawyer for Jordi Sànchez, Jordi Turull, and Josep Rull (all running in the upcoming April 28 elections) put forth a campaign this week to request his clients be freed from pre-trial jail to participate in the campaign. This was joined by the defense for Raül Romeva and Oriol Junqueras. 

The request made by attorneys Jordi Pina and Andreu Van den Eynde also names the right to defense as a reason to release the pro-independence leaders for a temporary period, arguing that as the Catalan Trial will seemingly go for a long time, the accused can’t properly prepare from prison.

Less severe methods to avoid flight

Pina further assured that the three are not a flight risk, and suggested less severe methods than custody to guarantee his clients not flee: seizing their estate, not allowing them to leave Madrid, even house arrest.

The lawyer also cited a precedent: on December 4, 2017, Jordi Turull was allowed this possibility once before for a similar reason, when he was a candidate in the Catalan snap elections celebrated later that month.

Who will join petition and who won’t

It’s possible that the lawyer for incarcerated former home affairs minister will also take this route, as his client Joaquim Forn is running for Barcelona mayor, the elections for which will be held at the end of May.

Sources for the team of attorney Xavier Melero have advanced that before making a decision, the lawyer will wait to read Pina’s petition as well as that of Andreu Van den Eynde, who is to release his statement on Thursday (Pina already put his forth on Wednesday night). 

Meanwhile, attorneys for imprisoned leaders Carme Forcadell, Jordi Cuixart, and Dolors Bassa (former parliament speaker, Òmnium activist, and former minister respectively) have already advanced that they will not be requesting the same for their clients, as none are running in any of the upcoming elections.