SPEAKER of the Catalan Parliament Roger Torrent has been charged with the crime of disobedience for allowing MPs to vote for self-determination and against the Spanish monarchy two years ago.

The charges alleged that he, and three members of the chamber’s bureau, disobeyed Spain’s Constitutional Court (TC) by passing the motions in November 2019, which were supported by pro-independence parties who held a majority in the parliament.

One of the motions said: “Parliament reiterates and will reiterate as many times as MPs choose the disapproval of the monarchy, the defence of self-determination and the affirmation of the sovereignty of the people of Catalonia to decide their political future.”

The TC said they violated previous rulings against Catalan self-determination and revoked them.

Torrent, a member of the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC), is known as something of an outspoken pro-independence figure.

He was given the news while in his home village, and tweeted in response: “At @parlamentcat we have guaranteed that everything can be talked about, and it must continue to be so.

“No matter how much they try to censor debates, they will not be able to hide the corrupt practices of the monarchy and self-determination is a right we will not give up.”

The charges against the speaker follow a familiar pattern against pro-independence officials in the Catalan legislature.

Carme Forcadell, Torrent’s predecessor, is serving a prison sentence of 11 years after being convicted of sedition for allowing MPs to declare independence from Spain following the October 2017 referendum.

Last year, the Catalan president, Quim Torra, was sacked after the Supreme Court upheld a previous sentence for disobedience over his refusal to remove from public buildings yellow ribbons, which were seen as a sign of support for independence and other indy leaders who are also imprisoned.

However, this fate is not likely to befall Torrent, although a conviction for disobedience could see him banned from public office for a number of years.

Torrent said the charges were politically motivated, and added: “What the TC would like is for the bureau to become a censoring body.

“We will not accept this, because then Parliament and democracy would be limited.”

Spain’s public prosecutor, meanwhile, has mounted a Supreme Court challenge against prison privileges which were granted to Catalonia’s jailed pro-indy leaders.

The nine grassroots activists and politicians are serving prison terms of between nine and 13 years for sedition for their part in the 2017 referendum.

They have already served around three years each and are classed as “third degree”, or low-risk inmates.

As such they are allowed to leave prison for work during the day and return to their cells to sleep. They are also entitled to spend weekends at home.

The prosecutor’s case against Dolors Bassa and Forcadell was lodged on Monday, and yesterday saw the court move to revoke the privileges of ERC leader Oriol Junqueras, activists Jordi Cuixart and Jordi Sanchez, and former ministers Raul Romeva, Jordi Turull, Josep Rull and Quim Forn.

A lower court had previously rejected the measure – for the second time – but the prosecutor took the case to Spain’s highest court, and demanded their privileges be suspended while judges consider the appeal.

Their status was revoked two months ago before being reinstated, but the prosecutor returned to court citing precedents from last July, when the court kept them in jail until the appeal was resolved.

Now the prosecutor’s office wants the same measure applied, as a “preventive measure”, and has argued again that they have been convicted of “serious crimes and with sentences of more than five years”.