Five jailed Catalan separatist leaders were welcomed by some with applause as they took their seats at the opening session of the Spanish Parliament in Madrid on Tuesday.
The Catalan separatist leaders Oriol Junqueras, Josep Rull, Jordi Turull, Jordi Sanchez and Raul Romeva were escorted from jail to attend the opening session, following a permission granted by the Supreme Court. It is not known if they will be allowed to attend debates.
Raul Romeva won a seat in the upper house of the Spanish Parliament, the Senate, while the others won seats in the lower house, the Congress, in the elections held on April 28. All five of the leaders remain in pre-trial detention and are facing proceedings for their involvement in the 2017 Catalonian independence referendum and the subsequent push for independence from Spain.