Spain’s Constitutional Court denies jailed MPs freedom

Oriol Junqueras and Jordi Sànchez asked to be released while court decides on their case

Outside Spain's Consitutional Court (by ACN)
Outside Spain's Consitutional Court (by ACN) / ACN

ACN | Barcelona

May 22, 2018 04:16 PM

Spain’s Constitutional Court has denied freedom for Oriol Junqueras and Jordi Sànchez, two Catalan MPs preemptively imprisoned for their role in the independence bid. Junqueras and Sànchez took their cases to Spain’s highest court and asked to be released while a final decision was made—a petition that was nevertheless rejected.

The deposed vice president of Catalonia and leader of Esquerra Republicana party, Junqueras entered prison on November 2. All his attempts to be released have been blocked by Spanish courts.

Sànchez, an activist and former president of a major pro-independence organization, was sent to jail on October 16. Carles Puigdemont, Catalonia’s deposed president, proposed Sànchez as his successor, but the Spanish judiciary didn’t allow him to take up the post.