The MEPs maintain that the Spanish authorities are intent on preventing MEPs-elect Oriol Junqueras, Carles Puigdemont and Toni Comín from being “granted all the rights and freedoms as European parliamentarians” and to “prevent any debate in the European Parliament that might question the trial against the Catalan political and social leaders”

Seventy-six MEPs have addressed a letter to the members of the Bureau of the European Parliament to urge them to recognize and protect the political rights of Oriol Junqueras, Carles Puigdemont and Toni Comín, as well as the 2.2 million people who voted for them. They also urge the Bureau to demand the Spanish electoral and judicial authorities “respect the results of the elections and recognize the rights of the MEPs-elect to immunity and to take their seats in Parliament”.

The MEPs point out that Spain’s Supreme Court has refused to allow Mr Junqueras to leave prison to collect his credentials from Congress, while the Central Electoral Commission has demanded that Puigdemont and Comín appear in person in Madrid to collect theirs. The MEPs allege that this is “a clear breach of the political rights of the MEPs-elect, and ignores over 2 million European citizens who voted for them” and “attacks the political rights of these”.

They maintain that the intention behind these decisions is “to prevent the MEPs-elect from enjoying all the rights and freedoms granted to European parliamentarians, and likewise prevent any debate in the European Parliament that might question the trial against the Catalan political and social leaders”.

They also contend that this is an “unacceptable infringement” of the Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament, the EU Treaties, the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.