Catalan Parliament President to face court on May 8 for allowing debate on independence

Carme Forcadell, the President of the Catalan Parliament, will testify before the High Court of Catalonia (TSJC) for allowing a debate in the plenary about an independence resolution. She is accused of disobedience for not stopping the discussion, which was suspended by the Constitutional Court after a Spanish government complaint. The High Court has also asked four members of the Catalan Parliament Bureau to testify: Anna Simó, Lluís Corominas, Ramona Barrufet and Joan Josep Nuet. Simó, from Catalan Republican Left (ERC) will testify the same day as Forcadell, while Corominas and Ramona Barrufet, MPs from the liberal PDeCAT party, will face the court on May 12. Nuet, from left-wing coalition CSQP, and who was initially not included in the investigation, will finally testify as well on May 23. “We have always worked to facilitate debates, not stop them, because words should be free in the Parliament. We will continue in this fashion,” tweeted Forcadell alongside a picture of her citation letter.