Supreme Court to decide on temporary release of former Catalan minister

All requests for release by Catalan political leaders in pre-trial detention have been turned down. Yet, that could well change as Spain’s Supreme Court decides on whether to grant former minister Dolors Bassa leave to attend her mother, who is about to undergo surgery.

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.

According to Bassa’s lawyer, the prison board of the Puig de les Basses penitentiary where Bassa is being detained held an emergency meeting and agreed to her request to be allowed out of prison to attend her mother’s imminent operation.

The final word now lies with the Supreme Court judges, who could make a decision on Friday. If Bassa is granted a licence to temporarily leave prison, she will be the first to do so of the political leaders awaiting trial for their part in the independence bid.

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.