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A8 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 13 november 2019
Legal opinion: EU lawmakers should decide on Catalan leader

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN As- his role.
sociated Press Alongside Junqueras, two
BRUSSELS (AP) — A legal other Catalan leaders —
adviser at the EU's highest former regional leader
court said on Tuesday that Carles Puigdemont and
it should fall to the Europe- Toni Comin — have been
an Parliament, and not to barred from taking their
Spain, to decide whether a seats at the European
jailed Catalan leader can Parliament because they
serve as a European law- have not taken the oath.
maker. Both currently live in exile
In a non-binding opinion, in Belgium and are fighting
the European Court of Jus- extradition to Spain.
tice's advocate general, Puigdemont welcomed
Maciej Szpunar, said since Szpunar's opinion, saying
Oriol Junqueras has been on Twitter that it "demon-
elected to the EU Parlia- strated another injustice"
ment, Spain cannot be al- against Junqueras.
lowed to suspend his man- It remains unclear what it
date. might mean for Junqueras
Such legal opinions are not should the court back Sz-
legally binding but are of- punar's opinion. Leading
ten followed by the court. Spanish daily El Pais said
"Even if this is not the final In this Monday, May 20, 2019 file photo, the leader of the Catalonian ERC party Oriol Junqueras Puigdemont and Comin
decision on the matter, this leaves after collecting his credentials at the Spanish parliament in Madrid, Spain. would likely use it to try to
is good news as the ad- Associated Press take their seats and get im-
vocate general's opinion munity.
argues that the European Keller said. "We have al- of jail to take the oath that Court, which referred it to Insisting on the "constitu-
Parliament is competent to ways defended the right of Spanish law requires, and the European court. tional importance of the
defend Mr. Junqueras' im- our colleague to take up his seat was declared va- Szpunar said that unless a case," Szpunar said Euro-
munity," said Ska Keller, the his seat." cant. European lawmaker's im- pean lawmakers' status
president of the Greens/ Junqueras, who has been Junqueras, who has since munity has been waived by should be overseen only
EFA group in EU Parliament, detained in Spain since No- been convicted and given the European Parliament, by EU law, "failing which
with which Junqueras is al- vember 2017, was elected a 13-year sentence for se- Spanish authorities are "re- the Parliament's indepen-
lied. as a member of the Euro- dition and misuse of pub- quired to refrain from any dence and the autonomy
"We hope that this impor- pean Parliament in May. lic funds, brought the loss measure which might ob- of the EU's legal order over-
tant decision will now be But Spain's Supreme Court of his rights as a European struct the necessary steps" all would be called into
confirmed by the (court)," refused to allow him out lawmaker to the Supreme of the member to take up question."q
French police detain 18,

clear protesters at

Spanish border

MADRID (AP) — French po- remained around La Jon-
lice detained 18 pro-Cat- quera crossing, and Cata-
alan independence pro- lan regional police from
testers Tuesday and used Spain were standing by.
pepper spray and batons The planned three-day pro-
to push back demonstra- test started Monday. It was
tors who blocked a major organized by a clandestine
highway border crossing activist group called Tsu-
between France and Spain nami Democratic, which
for more than 24 hours. has staged many protests,
The police then began some violent, since a dozen
towing away vehicles and Catalan separatist leaders
debris and authorities an- were convicted last month
nounced the reopening for their role in a 2017 push
of the road to traffic hours to make Catalonia inde-
later. pendent from Spain.
The police action led to The A9-AP7 highway con-
some scuffles, and some nects Perpignan in France
protesters could be seen with Barcelona in Spain
crying from the effects of and is a key thoroughfare
the spray. The regional ad- for trade and tourism be-
ministration said no one tween the countries. Thou-
was injured in the opera- sands of vehicles had been
tion, which took all morn- sent on detours through
ing. the Pyrenees to try to cross
Several hundred protesters the border elsewhere.q