SPAIN’s Supreme Court has rejected a petition brought by Oriol Junqueras, the jailed former Catalan vice-president who is awaiting a verdict in the trial over the role he played in the 2017 independence referendum.
Junqueras, who leads the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) was elected as an MEP in the European election in May, but Spanish authorities blocked his bid to take his seat.
A hearing on his case for political immunity is due to be held at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg on October 14.
He had asked that his sentencing be put on hold until after that date, but the court said it had no bearing on his sentence in the indyref case.
His lawyer, Andreu Van den Eynde, had earlier said he would challenge the Supreme Court’s verdict if it was announced before the EU court’s immunity ruling.
READ MORE: Tensions rise as Catalan's pro-indy leaders await trial verdicts
The immunity case centres around the omission of Junqueras from the list of elected MEPs that Spain submitted to European authorities after the May poll.
Junqueras said that as his name was included in the official gazette, this was an official recognition of his election and he should have political immunity.
The Supreme Court ruling came as the public prosecutor asked for a hearing on extending the “precautionary detention” of Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Cuixart, the two civic leaders who will mark two years in preventative detention on October 16.
READ MORE: Former Catalan VP warns EU of ‘legal vacuum’ over MEP recognition
Under Spanish law they can only be detained for two years and, if verdicts and sentences are not announced before next Wednesday, the court would have to approve an extension.
Both have been tried for rebellion and face sentences of 17 years.
Vidal Aragones, a Catalan MP for the left-wing CUP, said extending their detention before the verdict would be an act of “judicial barbarism”.
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