Read in Catalan

The lawyer representing Catalan president Carles Puigdemont in Barcelona and his fellow PDeCAT (Catalan European Democratic Party) ministers, Alonso Cuevillas, has criticised the treatment of members of the Catalan government by the Spanish police while they were being taken to prison on Thursday. Cuevillas told Catalan public news channel 3/24 that the ministers had their hands cuffed behind their backs and were without safety belts in the vans. One of the ministers, Carles Mundó, reportedly had some kind of injury or mark on his wrist the next day from the handcuffs. During the journey the Spanish national anthem was played repeatedly on a mobile and they were told things like "you're going to realise" and "the joke's over". He also says that they hadn't eaten anything more than some crisps since breakfast.

Cuevillas added that two ministers were made to take their clothes off, "as if they were drug traffickers, to avoid them carrying anything". The lawyer concluded that president Puigdemont had done well taking refuge in Belgium and denouncing the lack of guarantees they have received from the Spanish justice system.