‘I’m a political prisoner,’ says MP

Jordi Turull, a jailed pro-independence leader who tried to be appointed as Catalan president a month ago, has described himself as a political prisoner before the Spanish judge that sent him to prison, Pablo Llarena. In a tense hearing, Turull urged Llarena to focus on justice instead of politics.

Turull, a deposed minister, appeared in the Spanish Supreme Court on Wednesday morning along with two other colleagues who are also in jail, Dolors Bassa and Carme Forcadell. Just like three ministers who were interviewed the day before, they also opted for a more confrontational approach than in previous occasions. They criticized the prosecution of pro-independence leaders and put the independence of the Spanish judiciary into question.

There are currently nine pro-independence leaders jailed in Madrid. Seven Catalan officials traveled to other European countries to seek refuge from the Spanish judiciary, including deposed president Carles Puigdemont.