Iconic Catalan separatist leader Quim Torra has had a decision to ban him from holding public office upheld by Spain’s Supreme Court.
The ruling upholds an earlier decision that was based on Mr. Torra ignoring demands to remove a symbol backing full independence for the autonomous region prior to a general election in Spain last year.
The initial ban of 18 months had not yet come into effect when the appeal to Spain’s Supreme Court was made, and no mention was immediately made of a start date.
Mr. Torra was further deemed guilty of ignoring said ‘official‘ demand and will be soon removed from his current office.
Immediately after the ruling by the Spanish court, Catalan language social media saw a demand for protests to take place in the coming days.
In making their decision on Monday, Spain’s Supreme Court judges said “He (Mr Torra) repeatedly and stubbornly disobeyed the orders of the Central Electoral Board to remove certain symbols from public buildings belonging to the (regional government) during the electoral process.”
Catalonia, with its largest city Barcelona, is a recognised ‘semi-autonomous’ area with a population of 7.5 million people.
As such it is home to 16% of the Spanish population and generates in excess of 20% of Spain’s GDP.
Exports alone from Catalonia account for more than 25% of the national total and with around €37bn of foreign investment annually, Catalonia attracts more than 25% of inward investment to the country.
However, following a push for independence several years ago, the Spanish government in Madrid suspended the region’s autonomy for over six months.
After hearing the ruling, the 57-year-old Mr. Torra also saw his claims of freedom of expression thrown out.
As a result, deputy Catalan leader Mr. Pere Aragones will like serve as the region’s acting head.
“Supreme shame,” wrote Mr. Jordi Turull, a jailed leader of the push for Catalan independence, and current political prisoner of the Spanish authorities on Twitter in the wake of the ruling.
