The Organization for Security and Co‑operation in Europe (OSCE) has met Spanish interior ministry officials to check that the Catalan political prisoners standing for election are able to campaign. The prison service says it defended the "respect" with which it's complying with the Central Electoral Commission's rulings to the delegation. In recent days, Junqueras, Romeva, Rull, Turull and Sànchez have all connected by video link with press conferences and/or campaign rallies from Soto del Real prison.
Officials from the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) met today with the secretary general of Spain's prison service, Ángel Luis Ortiz. ODIHR will issue a report in the coming months. Also present at the meeting was the director general of Sentence Execution and Social Reintegration, Javier Nistal, according to the interior ministry's press release.
Ortiz noted that the prison service has no power over elections and said that they are focusing on "respect" for and "compliance with the Central Electoral Commission's rulings". He was responding to ODIHR's interest in the "unusual" situation of having candidates for election, including some from the top of candidacy lists, in prison and "the challenges it represents". The interior ministry noted this situation "is new for the OSCE too".