Public prosecutors have opposed the release of Catalan prisoners Jordi Turull, Josep Rull, Jordi Sànchez, Oriol Junqueras and Raül Romeva, all currently on trial in Spain's Supreme Court. Their lawyers have argued for their release to guarantee their right to defence and to be able to campaign as candidates in the Spanish snap general election on 28th April.
Prosecutors say that "the reasons remain which determined the adoption of the cautionary measure of prison for each of the defendants who are now applying for release". They say that the pretrial detention was "repeatedly examined throughout the investigation of the case and also by this court".
Their filing claims that "the oral trial is consolidating the evidence of the defendants' participation in the crimes subject to prosecution by the public prosecution service".
"Due to the gravity of the crimes they are charged with and the significance of the requested sentences, the risks of flight and reoffending remain," they argue. As such, they believe keeping them in custody to be "reasonable and proportionate" and that "all the constitutional and legal requirements for it are met and it doesn't involve a violation of the fundamental right to a fair trial".