1. Skip to content
  2. Skip to main menu
  3. Skip to more DW sites
Politics

Court: Catalan ex-vice president must stay in jail

January 5, 2018

Spain's Supreme Court has ruled Oriol Junqueras will continue to be held in prison, after more than two months behind bars. The decision means he will probably not be able to be sworn into the new Catalan parliament.

Spanien Katalonien Oriol Junqueras
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/AP/M. Fernandez

Spain's Supreme Court on Friday ordered that former Catalan Vice President Oriol Junqueras must remain in custody while authorities investigate his role in the Spain region's independence movement.

In a written ruling, the judges said there was a risk that Junqueras would again commit an offense if he were released as there was no evidence to show he had abandoned "the path followed so far."

Read more: Opinion: Spain and Catalonia have a communication problem

The separatist leader has already been held in prison for more than two months on allegations of rebellion, sedition, and misuse of public funds, following an illegal referendum on secession from Spain on October 1.

The court's decision will likely prevent Junqueras from being sworn in at the opening session of the new Catalan parliament on January 17 and complicates the separatist parties' search for a leader who is neither jailed or abroad.

The December 21 election saw the separatists gain a slim majority, in a vote that Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy had hoped would quash the Catalan independence movement.

Junqueras's Esquerra Republicana (Republican Left) party emerged from the election as the second largest separatist group, a few seats behind former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont's Junts per Catalunya (Together for Catalonia) party.

Read more: Catalan crisis: Spain rejects Catalonia's 'tacit' declaration of independence

Market-friendly unionist party Ciudadanos (Citizens) won the most seats but other unionist parties did not secure enough votes to form a majority.

Puigdemont remains in self-imposed exile in Brussels, though he has said he would return to Catalonia if the Spanish government gave him certain "guarantees," likely a promise not to arrest him.

Rajoy fired both Junqueras and Puigdemont and four other cabinet members when he imposed direct control over Catalonia, after its separatist-controlled government declared independence following the October 1 referendum.

Read more: Catalan independence supporters in Brussels demand EU attention

While around 90 percent of participants voted for independence, the voter turnout was only 43 percent. In the Catalan parliamentary vote, which passed 70 to 10, dozens of opposition lawmakers walked out, boycotting the vote.

After the Supreme Court's ruling, Puigdemont tweeted: "There is a conflict between Catalonia and Spain that must be resolved. We have always opted for peace and dialogue."

Read more: Catalonia separatist groups win absolute majority

Those in jail or on the run have the option of ceding their seats to others in their parties to ensure they keep a majority when parliament restarts on January 17.

Republicn Left and Together for Catalonia, along with a smaller separatist party, have not yet agreed on a coalition.

Catalan independence supporters take to the streets: Charlotte Chelsom-Pill from Brussels

02:41

This browser does not support the video element.

law/rc (AFP, APE, Reuters)

Skip next section Explore more
Skip next section DW's Top Story

DW's Top Story

Skip next section More stories from DW