19th May 2025
Oriol Junqueras 'political prisoner'
Barcelona News Catalonia News Madrid News Main News

Challenge to verdict ‘inevitable’ if before EU court decision on immunity

Andreu Van den Eynde, the lawyer for jailed Catalan leader Oriol Junqueras, has warned that a challenge shall be inevitable should the Spanish Supreme Court release its verdict before the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has made a decision on Junqueras’s parliamentary immunity.

Although it is expected that the sentence be challenged regardless of whether it is released before an EU ruling, Van den Eynde has stressed that not waiting would make it all the more inevitable.

The Esquerra Republicana (ERC) party leader was elected as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) in May, but was not permitted to leave prison in order to take the oath of office and officially take up his seat.

ALSO READ: Junqueras: ‘I consider myself a political prisoner’

Van den Eynde is citing a ‘violation of fundamental rights’ as grounds for demanding that the sentence be suspended until Luxembourg’s impending decision is made.

Oriol Junqueras 'political prisoner'
Former Catalan vice president Oriol Junqueras (centre) sits with fellow former Catalan leaders during their trial at the Supreme Court in Madrid on 12 February 2019. (J.J.Guillén / POOL / AFP)

He stresses that there is ‘no legal body that can cover somebody’s immunity who is already serving sentence.’

Junqueras argues that his election to the European chamber means he should be given parliamentary immunity, and therefore be freed from jail, where he is currently awaiting the verdict of the Catalan Trial.

However, defense lawyer Van den Eynde doubts that the Supreme Court will withdraw the preliminary question about the extent of the Esquerra leader’s immunity.

The Supreme Court questions whether immunity is valid from the moment of election or before the Euro parliament constitution session, and whether Junqueras would be released ‘automatically’ in order to be able to assume his mandate.

The hearing for Junqueras’s immunity will be held on 14 October in Luxembourg. The defence has proposed that the Court of Justice analyse whether the decision of the Supreme Court respected the ‘fundamental rights’ of Junqueras.

ALSO READ: Catalan Trial Day 52: defence summaries and defendants’ statements

Recent Posts

Spain’s national broadcaster defies Eurovision organisers, and airs support message for Palestine

News Desk

15 fans injured after car ploughs into crowds before Barça win La Liga title

News Desk

Spanish police dismantle lucrative Chinese-Arab money laundering ring

News Desk

Madrid airport to restrict access for non-travellers due to homeless encampment problem

News Desk

Spanish government rules out that a cyberattack caused nationwide blackout

News Desk

EU president Von der Leyen meets with Valencia flood victims’ associations in Brussels

News Desk

Leave a Comment