Jordi Sànchez has announced he will resign as a deputy in the Catalan Parliament, to allow Jordi Turull to become the candidate for investiture as president. This was first announced by his lawyer before the Supreme Court and later made official by Junts per Catalunya.
By doing so, Sànchez follows in the footsteps of Joaquim Forn: leaving politics to be able to leave prison.
During this morning's hearing in the Supreme Court, Jordi Sànchez's lawyer, Jordi Pina, made the statement to argue for the former Catalan National Assembly (ANC) president's release from pretrial detention. Pina stated Sànchez's wish to resign as a deputy and return to teaching. Sànchez, who was elected second on Junts per Catalunya's electoral list, has been held in Soto del Real prison near Madrid since 16th October last year.
Jordi Pina was very explicit and explained that to be able to "hug his children", Jordi Sànchez would be willing to leave his seat and further political aspirations to be able to leave prison.
The public prosecution, however, has not changed its opinion and wants him to remain in prison. As such, the court is not expected to decide otherwise. Prosecutors argue that "new and important evidence has been collected about the occurrence of violence and other penal factors, directly ascribable to the applicant, likewise in the assessment of an extraordinary risk of reoffending".
Sànchez's 10 minutes
Jordi Sànchez himself spoke for 10 minutes at the end. He didn't mention resigning as a deputy - he didn't need to after his lawyer had.
What he did say to show he poses no risk of reoffending is that his is a "newly-elected deputy" and that, as such, he was not involved in anything passed by the previous legislature.
He also said that he never received "legal instructions" and that, as such, "there cannot be disobedience". Sànchez also tried to argue that he doesn't have the "charismatic leadership" judge Pablo Llarena attributes to him. He said that if it were so, it would mean his decisions at the ANC would not be debated and it was never so.