The Catalan vice-president, Oriol Junqueras, has asked to be released from prison saying that the government hasn't met nor adopted any decision since it was suspended with the application of article 155 of the Spanish Constitution. He does, however, avoid expressly accepting the intervention unlike some of his imprisoned colleagues. The same appeal has been presented by ministers Dolors Bassa (Work), Raül Romeva (Foreign Affairs) and Carles Mundó (Justice), as well as Junqueras.
Junqueras' lawyer, Andreu Van den Eynde, presented the appeal to the National Audience court, calling for the decision by judge Carmen Lamela to hold eight members of the Catalan government on remand without bail whilst they are being investigated on charges of rebellion, sedition and misuse of funds to be overturned.
In the filing, the lawyer says, as an argument to deny the possibility of reoffending, that after the approval of intervention, the dissolution of the Parliament of Catalonia has been accepted with the aim, "shared" by Junqueras", "of taking part in the electoral process set by the Spanish government".
"The government hasn't met since the day of its termination, no agreements have been adopted nor have any publications in the official gazette been made demonstrating executive acts since the Parliament session on 27th October (when the declaration of independence was passed)," it adds.
The vice-president and three ministers follow a request from Interior minister, Joaquim Forn, who asked to be released after accepting the application of article 155. Also to have accepted article 155 are ministers Josep Rull (Territory) and Jordi Turull (Presidency).