On Friday, the court temporarily rejected a petition for Junqueras to leave jail on Monday to begin the process of becoming an MEP. Junqueras’s party, the Catalan Republican Left, described the ruling as “another attack on democracy” and said it would appeal the court’s decision. The trial phase of the landmark proceedings against Junqueras and 11 other Catalan separatist leaders ended on Wednesday after four months and hearing from more than 400 witnesses. The former regional vice-president told the supreme court that voting for a Catalan republic could never been considered a crime, and said he hoped a political solution to the crisis would be found. In Barcelona – where a Catalan pro-independence party won the most seats – Ada Colau may try to hold on to office by entering a coalition with the Catalan socialist party and others.

Source: The Guardian June 14, 2019 12:33 UTC