Spanish high court sets date to hear cases of former Catalan police heads

Spain's National high court has set February 5 for a pretrial hearing in the cases of former officials in charge of the Catalan police, the Mossos d'Esquadra, during the raids of government buildings by Spanish police and the protests that followed, on September 20.

Mossos chief Josep Lluís Trapero, former interior ministry officials, Cèsar Puig and Pere Soler, as well as former police head, Teresa Laplana, are accused of putting the Catalan police force "at the service of the plans for independence."

The hearing was demanded by Puig's defense, who argue that the former officials should be tried in the High Court of Justice of Catalonia (TSJC). In December, the Supreme Court sent six out of 18 cases to the TSJC, in a similar appeal about legal jurisdiction.

If the court decides it is competent to try the former officials, their trial will most likely begin in the summer. The prosecutor is calling for 11 years in prison for Trapero, Soler and Puig, who are charged with rebellion, and four years for Laplana, who is charged with sedition.