Spanish Court bars Catalan political prisoner from taking up seat as MEP

Spain’s Supreme Court has denied jailed pro-independence leader Oriol Junqueras permission to leave prison in order to take the necessary steps in Madrid that will allow him to take up his seat as an MEP. All MEP-elects are expected to attend Spain’s congress on June 17 in order to swear an oath to the constitution, a step that some claim is mandatory to officially become a member of the EU parliament.

Yet on Friday morning, the Supreme Court refused to allow Junqueras out of jail to attend the event. However, the same judges gave Junqueras temporary permission to leave prison last month so that he could become an MP in Spain’s congress – he attended the chamber’s opening session of the term on May 21.

The Official Gazette of the Spanish State (BOE) published today the list of the fifty-four elected MEPs on May 26, including Carles Puigdemont, Toni Comín and Oriol Junqueras. It is the first time that a Spanish official publication recognises their status as MEPs.