Accessibility links

Breaking News

Jailed Catalan Leaders Seek Release


Spanish national police officers stand guard as a police van arrives at the Supreme Court in Madrid, Dec. 1, 2017.
Spanish national police officers stand guard as a police van arrives at the Supreme Court in Madrid, Dec. 1, 2017.

A Spanish Supreme Court judge in Madrid has begun questioning jailed leaders of Catalonia's independence drive who are seeking to be released from custody ahead of a regional election later this month.

Supreme Court magistrate Pablo Llarena on Friday began reviewing the jailing of eight members of the dissolved regional government and two prominent activists. Catalan Vice President Oriol Junqueras is among those imprisoned.

The eight politicians are facing charges of sedition, rebellion and misappropriation of funds after the Catalan government declared independence from Spain.

The two activists are facing sedition charges for their roles in the demonstrations in Barcelona.

Both groups requested the court appearance because most of them are running for office in the December 21 regional election that Madrid called after its crackdown on Catalonia.

  • 16x9 Image

    VOA News

    The Voice of America provides news and information in more than 40 languages to an estimated weekly audience of over 326 million people. Stories with the VOA News byline are the work of multiple VOA journalists and may contain information from wire service reports.

XS
SM
MD
LG