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The Spanish supreme court on Tuesday (May 14th) ordered that five Catalan separatist leaders imprisoned and tried for their role in the October 2017 secession attempt be allowed to leave prison on Tuesday to take an oath in Parliament. A special permit, which is not the one that the defendants first sought.
With our correspondent in Barcelona, Elise Gazengel
The five Catalan prisoners, who obtained a seat in the Spanish Chambers on April 28, will be allowed to leave prison, exceptionally, on May 21.
After a year and a half of pre-trial detention, the former Catalan leaders had been able to leave their cells only to attend their trial which has been taking place since early February at the Supreme Court.
It is this same court that allows them to go to Parliament and Senate next Tuesday - a day without a hearing - to take their seats and take an oath while refusing their other requests for full release and postponement of the trial.
On Tuesday, the five defendants will be transferred under high protection to the Spanish Cortes and will be there only the time " strictly necessary ". Their movements within the building will be restricted and monitored by the police to avoid running away.
Proportionately, the only precedent in Spain dates from 1989 when a former ETA member took advantage of a special permit to take the oath as a new MP. He had fled for nearly 10 years.