Torra condemned, Catalonia must return to the vote

The Spanish Supreme Court confirmed the sentence of one and a half years of ban from public office for the president of the Catalan Generalitat, Quim Torra, accused of "disobedience" for refusing to obscure the banners in support of the separatists during the electoral period in jail.

This was reported by the main Spanish media.

The ruling leads Catalonia to an early end of the legislature and to elections due to be held on January 31 or February 7 next year.

In addition to the ban, Torra was sentenced to a fine of 30,000 euros. In the ruling, the High Court considers that Torra "repeatedly and obstinately disobeyed" the orders of the Central Electoral Council to withdraw some symbols from public buildings dependent on the Generalitat during the general elections held on April 28, 2019, when the Council estimated that the neutrality required of public administrations had been violated.