The Catalan presidency minister fired by Madrid last year, Jordi Turull, has started on the sixth day of his indefinite hunger strike in Lledoners prison. In a letter he has managed to have reach El Nacional, the JxCat politician confesses the emotional impact of signing his advance healthcare directive, also known as a living will. He did so in front of doctor Jaume Padrós, who is attending to the political prisoners taking part in the protest.
"Today, we've met with Dr Padrós, given that they make you sign the advance healthcare directive; really, it hits you, but it needs to be done," writes Turull. He has praise for the doctor and the prison's medical staff:
"Dr Padrós is very coordinated with the prison's medical services; by the way, they are very good, great professionals and very attentive to everyone," he says.
As for prison life, Turull reveals that he's declined to change his current job, despite being on hunger strike. He works, as it happens, in the canteen:
"The person in charge of the wing offered for me to change my assignment to not be working in the canteen. I've said no for two reasons: first, because we prisoners who've been doing this job for a while have made a good team and, second, to return their support these first days," he says.
The minister explains that he's well physically, despite the lack of food. He even admits that he might take advantage of the situation to stop smoking:
"I've got up well. Feelings of lightness more than hunger. For the moment, no dizziness and less or almost nil need to smoke. I'll take advantage of that to try to do that which I should have done so long ago".
The handwritten letter from Jordi Turull from Lledoners prison
Turull and Jordi Sànchez, former president of the Catalan National Assembly (ANC) and now head of JxCat in the Catalan Parliament, started an indefinite hunger strike on Saturday in protest at the delays by the Constitutional Court in responding to their appeals for bail. This delay, they argue, is preventing them from turning to the European courts.
Sànchez and Turull were joined on Tuesday by ministers Josep Rull and Quim Forn. The four are being held in Lledoners as part of the case against last year's Catalan referendum.