Rull orders review of parliament's security protocol to prevent Puigdemont's arrest | News from Catalonia

The President of Parliament, Josep Rull, has asked the institution's Secretary General, Albert Capelleras: check the camera's security protocol to see if it provides sufficient guarantees for the camera former president Carles Puigdemont can attend the plenary session of the investiture, scheduled for August 26th at the latestwithout being arrested, as parliamentary sources told EL PAÍS. He former president He has repeatedly announced that his intention is to return to Catalonia for that session, regardless of whether he is a candidate for head of the Catalan government.. Rull said this on Monday in statements to SER Catalonia that as long as he is president, the police “will not arrest or detain anyone. And if they have to do it, I will be the first one they have to arrest,” said the one who did former councilor of the Puigdemont government.

Parliament fully approved it in August 2017 processesa security protocol just after the agents stormed the chamber for the 3% case. The document gives the presidency of the chamber the power to authorize or deny police access and requires officers to leave their guns in a closet and always approach it with their faces uncovered. “If we have to strengthen the protocol and look for other elements of protection, we will do so,” Rull said in an interview with The national“An inauguration with the Spanish police waiting outside would be an absolutely terrible image,” he said, noting that he accepts the consequences that avoiding arrest can entail. “It is often necessary to take risks,” he said, referring to the fact that he himself had already been in prison as one of the leaders of the process

The Governing Council has not yet formally discussed the protocol and its modification, if applicable, must be made by majority vote. The body still has a pro-independence majority in this mandate. The current security standard consists of eight points and outlines how to act in the event of police intervention: from how officers must act to inform the general secretary or how the agents will be guided to “take the test, carry out the check or the electronic information.” The protocol includes an annex with legal annotations stipulating that in no case may the police have access to the interior of the room to arrest a deputy, but only to those who do not meet this condition.

These clarifications distinguish between the inviolability of parliamentarians in the exercise of their positions, and the immunity of the institution, which is equivalent, for example, to a diplomatic headquarters. The immunity of the deputies is partial, since it is nullified if they are caught committing a flagrant crime or if a competent court authorizes provisional detention. Table sources consider that the Mossos d'Esquadra who guard the building are under the command of the President of Parliament and must follow his instructions.

Puigdemont's return is planned after negotiations to appoint a president of the Generalitat. Rull has insisted that Puigdemont return to Catalonia for the investiture debate. “His word is extremely solid from this perspective,” said the Chamber President, assuming that he risks being arrested, although he has pointed out that this will not happen within Parliament. Rull has maintained that they must see how the protocol is modified and look at comparative legal precedents such as the case law of the European Court of Human Rights and the technical-legal and operational defence mechanisms.

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