Catalan News Agency to host Junqueras’ first press conference since imprisonment

The Catalan News Agency (ACN) will host the first press conference with Oriol Junqueras on Friday since the former vice president was imprisoned in 2017 for his role in the independence bid.

As the leader of Esquerra party, Junqueras is running in the Spanish general election from jail. Esquerra requested Junqueras be allowed to take part in a series of political debates hosted by different media outlets, but it only approved ACN's press conference format.

The press conference will take place this Friday at 10am. As permission to leave prison during the electoral campaign was refused, Junqueras will answer journalists' questions via videolink.

Charged with calling a referendum and declaring independence in October 2017, Junqueras is currently facing trial in Spain's Supreme Court along with 11 other politicians and activists.

With former president Carles Puigdemont exiled in Belgium, Junqueras is the most senior pro-independence politician in the dock, as well as the one for whom the public prosecutor is requesting the longest prison sentence: 35 years in jail for rebellion and misuse of public funds.

In his defense statement at the Catalan trial, Junqueras declared himself a "political prisoner" and denied all accusations: "I'm convinced that I'm being accused over my ideas and not my actions."