Jailed Catalan separatist makes new bid to run for office

MADRID – Lawyers for a prominent Catalan secessionist being held in a Madrid jail have made another request to Spain’s Supreme Court for him to be allowed to attend a plenary session in the northeastern region’s parliament.

Separatist Catalan lawmakers want a vote on electing Jordi Sanchez as president of Catalonia, but the Supreme Court last week refused to free him.

The appeal filed Monday asks for Sanchez to attend only the parliamentary session, not for his full release from preventive detention while a judge investigates whether he committed crimes related to a court-banned Catalan independence referendum last October.

Separatists are proposing Sanchez in defiance of the Spanish government, which argues that anyone facing charges and unable to be present at the debate in Barcelona and vote can’t be elected.