THE former vice president of Catalonia has told Spain's Supreme Court voting in a banned referendum on breaking away from Spain cannot be considered a crime.
Oriol Junqueras is one of a dozen politicians and activists on trial for a failed 2017 attempt to turn what he sees as his nation in to an independent republic.
Mr Jungqueras, whose Esquerra Republicana party is a formal ally of the SNP, played a key role in holding the referendum even though courts prohibited it. He was also part of a Catalan government which made a declaration of independence after the vote.
READ MORE: MEPs seek clarification over 'Catalan MEP ban at European Parliament'
State prosecutors accuse Mr Junqueras of rebellion, which carries a prison sentence of up to 25 years.
As four months of hearings drew to a close Wednesday, Mr Junqueras said in his final statement that the issue of Catalan independence belongs in the sphere of politics, not in a courtroom.
A verdict is not expected for months.
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