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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 22 May 2019

Spain: Jailed Catalans, far right deputies in new Parliament

By ARITZ PARRA barred from future meet-
Associated Press ings by the chambers' gov-
MADRID (AP) — A frag- erning bodies elected on
mented Spanish Parliament Tuesday.
convened Tuesday after Dressed in suits and ex-
last month's inconclusive changing embraces and
general election, including greetings with other law-
for the first time Catalan makers, Junqueras and
politicians released from the three others took seats
pre-trial detention for the in the Congress of Depu-
occasion, as well as two ties among political op-
dozen lawmakers from an ponents, including two far-
upstart far-right party. right Vox party deputies
Socialist leader Pedro Sán- who are also prosecutors in
chez won the national elec- their ongoing trial for rebel-
tion but fell short of enough lion and other charges that
seats to form a government could land them in prison
on his own. He has put off for decades.
negotiations on governing Vox is the first parliamen-
alliances until after the Eu- tary party that openly es-
ropean ballot concludes Lawmakers gather for the opening session of Spain's new Parliament in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday pouses Spanish nationalism
on Sunday, which in Spain May 21, 2019. since dictator Gen. Fran-
coincides with votes to Associated Press cisco Franco died in 1975.
elect local councils and It wants to use its 24 seats
a dozen regional govern- tempt, including former Catalan regional minister of Madrid. among the 350 lower house
ments. Catalan regional Vice for international relations The Supreme Court has al- lawmakers to propose le-
Escorted by police, four President Oriol Junqueras, Raül Romeva was ferried lowed them to attend the gal reforms on abortion,
separatists on trial for Cata- appeared in the Congress to the Senate from a jail opening sessions in Madrid violence against women
lonia's 2017 secession at- of Deputies, while former some 40 kilometers outside but they are likely to be and migration.q

Official: Poland entitled to seek German WWII reparations

Associated Press have argued the 1953 de- servative nationalist Law
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A cision is invalid because it and Justice party said last
Polish official said his coun- was dictated by Moscow year that the nation de-
try is entitled to seek World when Poland was a satel- serves compensation for its
War II reparations from Ger- lite of the Soviet Union. losses and set up a team of
many, arguing Tuesday Mularczyk believes that lawmakers under Mularc-
that no documents or re- raising reparations with Ber- zyk's leadership to estimate
cords show Poland ever re- lin would improve bilateral how much is due.
nounced its right to do so. ties. He said Poland has not He said the estimate of loss-
Berlin has repeatedly said been adequately com- es will be higher than the
there is no legal basis for pensated for the human currently cited $850 million,
the claims because the and material losses it suf- which derives from a 1947
matter was settled in a 1953 fered under Nazi German count. It will include losses
agreement. But prominent occupation from 1939-45. to all who were Poland's
ruling party lawmaker Arka- Mularczyk heads a team of citizens in 1939, including
diusz Mularczyk told The As- experts counting the losses Jews and other minorities.
sociated Press said that a and their long-term effects Germany has paid some
copy of a 1953 note from a on Poland, and intends to compensation to individu-
government session, signed present it to Germany and al Poles who were forced Poland's ruling party lawmaker Arkadiusz Mularczyk talks to The
Associated Press in the parliament building in Warsaw, Poland,
only by Poland's communist other countries on Sept. 1, laborers or victims of Ger- on Tuesday, May 21, 2019, about a report that assesses Poland's
leader of the time, Boleslaw the 80th anniversary of the man pseudo-medical ex- World War II losses and that, he says, will be given to German
Bierut, is not legally binding. German invasion of Po- periments during the Nazis' government.
Poland's current authorities land. Poland's ruling con- wartime occupation.q Associated Press