President of Catalonia’s regional government Quim Torra went on trial Monday in Barcelona for “disobedience” after refusing to remove pro-independence symbols from public buildings.
Prosecutors have called for Torra to be fined €30,000 ($33,000) and declared ineligible for public office for 20 months, AFP reported. This would make it impossible for the politician to remain president and likely trigger an early election in the wealthy northeastern region.
His ineligibility would only come into effect if the sentence is confirmed by Spain’s Supreme Court, which could take months.
Torra’s one-day trial opened after Spain’s Supreme Court on October 14 sentenced nine Catalan leaders to lengthy jail terms over an abortive 2017 independence bid, setting off a wave of angry protests that repeatedly descended into violence.