The nine pro-independence Catalan political prisoners, denied the possibility of spending the coronavirus confinement in their homes as the Council of Europe recommended for non-violent prisoners, now themselves subject to another apparent whim of the justice system: some are to be allowed to resume the work leave they were previously granted to go to jobs or volunteer work outside the prison. But others - probably including Jordi Sànchez, Dolors Bassa, Carme Forcadell and Oriol Junqueras - will have to stay in jail for the moment.
Following the lockdown imposed due to coronavirus, the Catalan justice authorities announced earlier today that prisoners who previously had been granted permission to work outside the jail under prison regulation 100.2 would be able to resume this activity starting tomorrow, as long as the company for which they worked had resumed its activity.
All nine of the convicted political and civil leaders have permission under regulation 100.2, but not all will be able to return to it. Former ANC president Jordi Sànchez was part of a volunteer programme, and since he has no work contract, he will not be able to leave Lledoners jail tomorrow to work like some of the other political prisoners. It is likely that Dolors Bassa and Carme Forcadell will be in the same category, as they were granted leave under this prison regulation to care for their mothers. Former Catalan vice president Oriol Junqueras, for his part, will be unable to resume his job because the university centre where he was to start lecturing, the Manresa campus of the University of Vic, is still closed.
This leaves Òmnium leader Jordi Cuixart, who will be working at his own company, and the former Catalan government ministers Jordi Turull, Josep Rull and Quim Forn, who all have work contracts. However, these four will also face a change: they will be relocated to the new prisoner arrivals' module at Lledoners, to avoid contact with inmates who are still maintaining total isolation from the outside, and also to stay isolated from one another. Therefore, when they return to work they will have to be alone in their cells and will only be allowed out for short periods in the prison yard.