Jailed political leader given 2-hour permission to attend mother's operation

 

Former Catalan labor minister Dolors Bassa, in pre-trial jail since March 23, will be allowed to attend her mother's imminent operation on Saturday.

The Spanish Supreme Court has granted her a special license for a two-hour release as long as "all necessary security measures" are taken.

It is the first time that any of the nine jailed pro-independence leaders have been given such a license since the first two of them were put behind bars on October 16, 2017.

On Thursday, the court prosecutor came out in favor of granting Bassa a licence for temporary release from prison, as long as she is accompanied by police officers at all times, after Bassa’s defense team made the request for temporary leave on Wednesday.

Her lawyers also asked the public not to hold any demonstration in order to safeguard the privacy of Bassa's family.

Months in pre-trial prison

Bassa first spent a month in prison last autumn, and was then jailed for a second time on March 23 this year, along with former Catalan Parliament president Carme Forcadell and former ministers Jordi Turull, Josep Rull and Raül Romeva. Former vice president Oriol Junqueras and former minister Joaquim Forn have been behind bars since November 2, while pro-independence grassroots leaders Jordi Sànchez and Jordi Cuixart have been imprisoned since October 16, making more than 10 months and 300 days.