The Catalan political prisoners have arrived at the prisons of Alcalá Meco and Soto del Real where they will be held during the independence trial in the Spanish Supreme Court. Their first stop after Catalonia was Alcalá Meco, for Carme Forcadell and Dolors Bassa. The men (Oriol Junqueras, Jordi Turull, Josep Rull, Raül Romeva, Jordi Sànchez, Joaquim Forn and Jordi Cuixart) then went on to Soto del Real.
During the expected three months the trial will last, prison service sources say that the prisoners will be held in the same cell blocks in their respective prisons, "to facilitate their transfer to the courthouse during the days of the trial".
The prisoners will have the same communication restrictions as ordinary inmates. That means they can use the visiting rooms twice a week for 20 minutes at a time, or combine them in one visit of 40 minutes. They can have a maximum of four visitors on each occasion.
They'll also have the right to a face-to-face meeting once a month with their partner lasting between one and three hours, and meetings with their partners and children under 10 once every three months for between three and six hours with a maximum of six family members. They'll also be able to call 10 authorised numbers for five minutes each one a week.
No time limit for lawyers
As for communicating with their lawyers, they can meet in special rooms where officers have only visual monitoring without limits on time or duration. Before leaving for Catalonia originally, judge Pablo Llarena allowed them to meet in rooms without physical barriers between themselves and the lawyers.