The Public Prosecutors' Office of the Spanish National Audience court has presented a note opposing the release of the presidents of the pro-independence organisations ANC (Catalan National Assembly) and Òmnium Cultural, Jordi Sànchez and Jordi Cuixart. The presidents were remanded in custody last week, without bail, pending trial on charges of sedition based on their roles calling demonstrations in the run-up to the 1st October Catalan referendum.
Sànchez and Cuixart's defence councils have appealed again their provisional imprisonment as ordered by the judge Carmen Lamela, who is instructing in the sedition investigation based on a lawsuit brought by the public prosecutor. Also under investigation are the head of the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police), Josep Lluís Trapero, and superintendent Teresa Laplana, who remain out of prison, but under restrictions.
The first appeal presented by the defence was rejected by the judge, who argued that both played "essential roles" in a "complex strategy" aimed a putting into action the "road map" to Catalan independence.
Now, the defence has appealed to the Penal Chamber of the National Audience, arguing that there is no basis for a measure like provisional imprisonment.
The Public Prosecutor, however, does not agree with their arguments, and calls for them to remain in custody as a cautionary measure.