MADRID – Spain’s Supreme Court on Monday upheld a ruling banning a Catalan separatist leader from leaving public office. This could ease tensions in the Northeast.

Catalan police officers were on high alert for protests ahead of the decision December verdict against separatist leader Quim Tory, President of the Local Government of Catalonia ..

Monday’s verdict has once again stirred Catalan politics. Mr. Tora will be replaced by Deputy Pere Aragonus They represent a different separatist party. Tora intended to hold an early election to support the separatist movement, but that plan was delayed due to the corona virus pandemic. Particularly affected by Spain.

Mr Tora’s case is part of a series of long – running conflicts between pro – independence Catalan leaders and the Spanish central government and its judiciary. There are politicians It has failed for years to resolve the separatist barrierIt leaves it up to the judges to deal with the fact that the Catalan community continues to be divided in the middle.

Tora said on Monday evening that Catalonia would hold elections in the next few months. He urged his supporters to change the vote to a vote on independence. The Spanish government urged the region to hold another election as soon as possible to avoid a political restriction in Catalonia under a caretaker regime.

Tora also said that the decision of the Supreme Court of Spain will be appealed to the European Court of Justice. A European court has ruled that Catalans are “the only place where justice can be found for pro – freedom activists and for a just cause for independence.”

The case against Mr Torre comes after he refused to remove yellow ribbons and other symbols of solidarity with the separatist movement in defiance of a Madrid election commission order last year. During the political campaign leading up to the Spanish elections in April 2019, the Commission recommended that all partisan symbols be removed from public buildings.

Ribbons have become a way of showing support The separatist leaders were later convicted in 2019 For making Attempts to declare independence failed Two years ago.

Torah repeated the order to withdraw pro-independence symbols. A court in Barcelona ruled in December that refusing to delete them was tantamount to non-cooperation. He was suspended for 18 months. Tora was persuaded to appeal to the Supreme Court.

The decision of the Supreme Court against him was welcomed by many Spanish politicians on Monday. “Justice has been served,” said Inus Arimadas, leader of the Ciudadanos party.

“Public spaces belong to everyone, and no political leader can break the law through separatist propaganda,” Ms Arimadas wrote on Twitter.

Separatists rallied in Barcelona and other Catalan cities on Monday evening to protest. As many as 400 protesters set fire to Santa Soum Square in Barcelona, ​​the seat of the Catalan local government, and confronted police. Extreme caution was exercised before the verdict, but no serious incident was reported by the local media.

The separatist majority that controls the local parliament Mr. Tora was elected leader of Catalonia in 2018. The previous office owner was Carls Pugdemont In October 2017, the Spanish government expelled him He left the country to avoid arrest and prosecution following an illegal attempt to secede.

After that, Mr. Pugdemont Struggles to hand him over To face trial from Belgium for defeat in the freedom struggle. Despite staying away from abroad, he continues to exert influence in Catalan politics, winning a seat in the European Parliament last year.

Mr. Tora is the third consecutive leader of Catalonia. Prior to Pugdemont, the court found Arthur Mass. Guilty of violating Spanish law by holding an early independence vote in 2014.