Spain's Supreme Court said on Thursday it had told the European Parliament that Catalan separatist leader Oriol Junqueras will not be released from prison to claim his seat as an MEP despite an EU court ruling that he was entitled to immunity.

Spain's top court says jailed Catalan separatist cannot be released

Spain will on Thursday remove dictator Francisco Franco's remains from the state mausoleum in which he was buried in 1975, the government said on Monday. The ruling Socialists have long sought to exhume Franco's remains and turn the Valley of the Fallen complex near the capital Madrid into a memorial to the 500,000 people who were killed during the 1936-39 civil war he unleashed.

Spain will exhume dictator Francisco Franco's remains on Thursday

Convicted: Who are the 12 Catalan separatist leaders?

Spain's Supreme Court on Friday found five men who called themselves "The Pack" guilty of gang rape, overturning previous convictions of the lesser offence of sexual abuse in a case that shook the country.

Spanish Supreme Court finds five men 'the pack' guilty of gang rape

A dozen Spanish lawyers were preparing on Thursday for what looks set to be the court appearances of their lives as they hone the defence cases for Catalan separatist leaders who are facing serious charges after having held an illegal regional referendum and spearheaded a bid to secede unilaterally from the rest of Spain.

Meet the lawyers who will defend Catalan separatists in Spain's Supreme Court

The court ruled that the six former lawmakers in Catalonia's regional parliament should be tried by a local tribunal.

Spanish Supreme Court rejects Catalan separatist trial

Spain's Supreme Court on Thursday ordered 18 former Catalan leaders to stand trial over their role in last year's declaration of independence. The trial is expected to start in early 2019 and will likely revive tensions between Catalonia and Spain's central government, which have eased since new socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez came to power in June.