Spain's Supreme Court has asked the interior ministry to start the process to move the Catalan political prisoners to Madrid for their trial. Judge Manuel Marchena has written to the ministry, asking them to undertake the necessary actions to guarantee the prisoners are available to appear in court the last week of this month.
The judge is currently waiting for the final defence filings to be submitted before setting the date for the trial. Their deadline is 15th January.
In the letter below, Marchena formally asks minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska to move Oriol Junqueras, Jordi Sánchez, Jordi Cuixart, Carme Forcadell, Jordi Turull, Josep Rull, Raül Romeva, Joaquim Forn and Dolors Bassa to prisons which would make them available to attend court in the last week of this month.
El presidente de la Sala del #TS que enjuiciará la causa del “procés” pide a Interior que los procesados presos estén a disposición del tribunal en la última semana de enero https://t.co/I4kPEYcNNd
— Poder Judicial (@PoderJudicialEs) 10 de gener de 2019
The letter doesn't specify which of Madrid's prisons they will be taken to. It does say, however, that the move must take place in conditions which respect their dignity and their right to a trial without unjust delays.