JAILED Catalan independence activist and suspended Spanish MP Jordi Sanchez has asked the Supreme Court for “special permission” to leave prison to meet King Felipe in customary post-election talks between the monarch and party leaders.
Sanchez – who is one of those on trial for their part in the 2017 Catalan independence referendum – was yesterday nominated by his party, Together for Catalonia (JxCat), to attend the meeting.
READ MORE: Catalan MEPs prepare for legal battle to take seats in Europe
He has already been allowed out of prison for his swearing-in at Congress last week, and JxCat has said it will not offer any substitute for him should he be refused permission.
Meanwhile, the trial of pro-indy leaders continued yesterday with controversy over videos of several demonstrations held across Catalonia 10 days before the referendum.
Defence lawyers objected that some of the recordings had no date or time, or location.
Most showed the stand-off between officers and protesters.
Jordi Pina, one of Sanchez’s team, said: “Regardless of the time frame in which the videos take place, at least for this defence, it is of particular importance that the video is identified so that, on the day of the report, it can contrast with those statements.”
Presiding judge Manuel Marchena responded: “What is clear is the importance it has for the defence and the difficulty for the prosecutor to offer this information.”
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