Catalan political prisoners register as MPs and senator

Those Catalan political prisoners who were elected MPs and senator in the April 28 Spanish election arrived in Madrid to register as representatives on Monday at around 10am. The Spanish police handcuffed and escorted them from the Soto del Real prison, in the Madrid region, to the congress and senate.

The leader of the Esquerra party, Oriol Junqueras, was among the jailed leaders arriving at the congress, as well as Junts per Catalunya’s Josep Rull, Jordi Turull and Jordi Sànchez. Meanwhile, Junqueras’ party colleague, Raül Romeva, arrived at the senate as the official who got the most votes in the Barcelona constituency.

Raül: "Som polítics, fem política, i la continuarem fent. Avui he recollit l'acta, però no només l'acta. Gràcies a totes i tots per l'estima. Endavant!" pic.twitter.com/yGlKpckunw

— Raül Romeva i Rueda (@raulromeva) May 20, 2019

They were all expected to be driven straight back to their cells, with no permission to hold meetings or talk to the press.