Jailed ex-Catalan leaders to petition for release

MADRID: The sacked Vice President of the Catalan regional government and six former members of the separatist Cabinet who have been detained on sedition and rebellion allegations following the region`s unilateral independence declaration were on Friday due to file a petition for their release in the apex court.

Ex-deputy leader Oriol Junqueras and his dismissed senior officials, two imprisoned leaders of pro-Catalan independence organisations -- Jordi Sánchez and Jordi Cuixart -- were also set to appear in front of Judge Pablo Llarena at the Supreme Court, Efe news reported.

Llarena has the power to accept or reject the petitions made recently on the grounds that they accept the constitutional measures triggered by the Spanish state that stripped Catalonia of its autonomy. 

It is understood that the ousted Catalan officials will tell the judge that since being imprisoned on November 2 for the National Court`s investigation into sedition, rebellion and misuse of public funds, they have accepted the Spanish government`s measures that quashed the independence declaration.

The Spanish government had dissolved the regional government and parliament and imposed direct rule.

Defence lawyers said that all preparations were in place to pay any bail conditions stipulated by the judge, who is expected to announce his decision on Monday. 

Junqueras and the officials were dismissed from their posts when the Spanish central government, with the backing of the courts and the Senate, enacted the hitherto dormant Article 155 of the Constitution to assume direct control of the northeastern region of Spain. 

The former leader of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, who led the "Together for Yes" coalition government until its dismissal, is currently in self-imposed exile in the Belgian capital Brussels. He is fighting an extradition request from Spain to face the same charges as his ex-subordinates.

Puigdemont and Junqueras both hope to run in the snap Catalan elections on December 21.