President urges judge in yellow ribbon disobedience case to recuse himself

Catalan President Quim Torra has urged the judge overseeing the yellow ribbon disobedience case that he is involved in to recuse himself over what he deems to be an “absolute lack of impartiality.”

Torra’s lawyer has presented a request to have Judge Carlos Ramos, who is in charge of the case in the Catalan High Court (TSJC), as he describes the magistrate’s arguments against dismissing the suit brought against him by Spain’s electoral authority as “clearly prejudiced.”

Citing parts of the resolution presented to proceed with the case, Torra’s lawyer said that his client’s presumption of innocence was not guaranteed since, according him, the judge is already convinced of his guilt.

Yellow ribbon row

In the run-up to the Spanish elections on April 28, Torra refused to comply with the court order to remove yellow ribbons from government buildings for what he described as his “higher public mandate to defend human rights.” As a result, he is now facing a trial that could potentially bar him from public office.

Following the failed 2017 independence bid, the yellow ribbons symbolize support for the movement’s imprisoned and exiled leaders.