Trial on president for disobedience underway - live updates

Quim Torra faces one-day procedure which could see him barred from office over yellow ribbons controversy

Image of a screen showing the Catalan president, Quim Torra, in the dock on November 18, 2019 (by Guillem Roset)
Image of a screen showing the Catalan president, Quim Torra, in the dock on November 18, 2019 (by Guillem Roset) / ACN

ACN | Barcelona

November 18, 2019 12:43 PM

Catalan President Quim Torra’s disobedience trial began on Monday shortly after 9 am at Catalonia’s top court in Barcelona.

The head of the Catalan government government faces a trial for disobedience, and if found guilty, he could be barred from office and therefore sacked from his job.

The president is being prosecuted for failing to comply in time with an order from the Electoral Board to remove symbols from the front of the government building in Barcelona in the run-up to the Spanish general election at the end of April.

A few hundred people gathered outside the court in order to back Torra on his way to the judicial building.

When listing preliminary issues in court, President Torra's defense requested suspension of trial  because the judges have rejected accepting electoral board members as witnesses.

Here's our live updates on the trial: