Provincial electoral board declares Quim Torra's Catalan Parliament MP seat vacant hours after he says he does "not recognize" the Supreme Court's ruling and affirms he is still an MP and president of Catalonia
Quim Torra, who can appeal ruling, failed to remove signs in favor of jailed leaders
Unlike renewed attempts to extradite Carles Puigdemont, following same course for Serret, Puig, and Gabriel has been ruled out
With jail terms ranging from 9 to 13 years, former officials and activists convicted over the 2017 referendum urge supporters to "keep going"
Madrid asks judiciary also to suspend resolution on self-determination and to warn Catalan cabinet of possible criminal charges
President Torra had banner removed but only after deadline and court order that police remove it “immediately”
Court says it needs more time to decide on recusal requests made by Quim Torra
Quim Torra has been summoned to court on September 25, the same date the annual general policy session had been called in the chamber
In audio of his testimony before high court, Quim Torra admits to disobedience citing "higher public mandate" to defend freedom of expression
Yellow ribbon row could leave Quim Torra in court and facing a potential ban from public office
Former Catalan Minister for Presidency and Catalan European Democratic Party (PDCeCAT) spokesperson in the Spanish Parliament, Francesc Homs, testified before the Spanish Supreme Court this Monday over the 9-N symbolic vote on independence, which took place in 2014. Homs responded to the Public Prosecutor’s accusation of disobedience and perversion of justice for co-organising the consultation and insisted that the resolution from the Spanish Constitutional Court (TC) “was not concrete”. Moreover, he assured that the executive “couldn’t do any anything else” but allow the symbolic vote to take place, since “ideological freedom and freedom of speech were at stake”. Homs said he admitted to “all the acts” he is accused of “and even more”, but doubted that they “constitute a crime”. In early February, former Catalan President, Artur Mas, and former Catalan Ministers Irene Rigau and Joana Ortega already testified before Barcelona’s High Court over the same case.
The judicial process against Catalan politicians that helped to organise the non-binding consultation on independence on the 9th of November 2014 continues. This Monday, former Catalan Government spokesman and MP for the Catalan European Democratic Party (PDCeCAT) testifies before the Spanish Supreme Court for disobedience and perversion of justice when co-organising the 9-N symbolic vote on independence, in which 2.3 million citizens expressed their opinion about Catalonia’s political future. The Prosecutor’s temporary conclusions stated that Homs “didn’t suspend any of the articles which allowed the consultation to take place and which were accountable to the Department of the Presidency” which Homs led at that time. The document emphasises that former Catalan President, Artur Mas’ right-hand man was “absolutely aware” that “by doing so he violated the mandatory compliance of the Spanish Constitutional Court’s decisions”. Thus, the Prosecutor demands a 9-year ban from public office.
Former Catalan Minister for Presidency and now Catalan European Democratic Party (PDCeCAT) spokesperson in the Spanish Parliament, Francesc Homs, testified this Wednesday before Barcelona’s High Court, during the trial over the 9-N symbolic vote on independence. Homs, who was former Catalan President Artur Mas’ right hand man at the time when the non-binding consultation took place, in 2014, gave his testimony as witness. “I told the Government that we were not violating any law and even less the penal code”, Homs stated and pointed out that the Spanish Constitutional Court (TC) resolution wasn’t clear. Coinciding with his declaration, this Wednesday it was made public that Homs will have to appear before the Spanish Supreme Court on the 27th of February, accused of disobedience and perversion of justice when co-organising the 9-N.
The Spanish Supreme Court’s Prosecutor is calling for the suspension of Catalan Minister and Catalan European Democratic Party (PDCeCAT) spokesperson in the Spanish Parliament, Francesc Homs, from holding public office for a 9-year period. Homs was accused of disobedience and perversion of justice for co-organising the 9-N symbolic vote on independence in 2014. This Wednesday, the Prosecutor’s temporary conclusions stated that former Catalan President, Artur Mas’ right-hand man “didn’t suspend any of the articles which allowed the consultation” and that he was “absolutely aware” that “by doing so he violated the mandatory compliance of the Spanish Constitutional Court’s decisions”.
Joan Coma, a pro-independence radical left CUP councillor in Vic, a town 60 kilometres from Barcelona, was arrested on Tuesday for ‘insurrection’ when calling for disobedience against the Spanish institutions in a plenary session a year ago. Two police officers in civilian clothes took him to Madrid’s ‘Audiencia Nacional’ court, where he had to declare this Wednesday after refusing to do so in October. Coma was freed without charges but the magistrate Ismael Moreno asked for the removal of Coma’s passport. “I hope to have a Catalan one soon”, Coma stated before the press soon after leaving the ‘Audiencia Nacional’ court. Hundreds of representatives from CUP, pro-independence left wing ERC and the Catalan European Democratic Party PDeCAT showed their support for Coma on Wednesday before many city halls throughout Catalonia and before the ‘Audiencia Nacional’ court.