Jailed pro-independence leaders’ hearings in Supreme Court underway

The hearings of the ten jailed Catalan pro-independence leaders are now underway. The vice president of the deposed Catalan government, Oriol Junqueras, was the first one to testify. His hearing lasted 20 minutes. Ministers Romeva, Mundó, Bassa, Forn, Borràs, Rull and Turull, and civil leaders Cuixart and Sànchez are following. In less than 2 hours, five imprisoned leaders have already testified before the Spanish Supreme Court. Borràs, Rull, Turull, Cuixart and Sànchez are next. 

The eight ministers of Carles Puigdemont’s cabinet were sent to prison without bail on November 2 by the National Court. The same court had also put two pro-independence community leaders behind bars on October 16.

The Supreme Court has now taken over their cases from the National Court and will review their pre-trial imprisonments today. All of them will testify and some media sources claim that they might be released just in time for the December 21st electoral campaign, which starts next Tuesday.

They were all transferred to the National Court this morning from the Madrid-area prisons where they have been held in custody for weeks. They will wait in that court's cells until the Supreme Court, which has no cells, will call them to testify. The two buildings are about 100 meters apart.