Story highlights Spanish court bars Catalan parliament from meeting

Catalan official says move "unusual and extremely serious"

Catalan president expected to declare independence Monday

Barcelona, Spain (CNN) Spain's highest court has suspended a meeting of Catalonia's regional parliament planned for Monday in an apparent attempt to prevent Catalan President Carles Puigdemont's expected declaration of independence.

The Constitutional Court said Thursday it had issued the suspension decision following a request from the Catalan Socialist Party, which opposes secession.

The parliamentary session was to have been Puigdemont's first opportunity to make a formal declaration of independence under a Catalan referendum law that the Constitutional Court had previously ruled illegal.

JUST WATCHED Catalan leader to King: You disappointed many Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Catalan leader to King: You disappointed many 01:14

"We are considering what to do," Carme Forcadell, the regional Parliament's president, told reporters. "I can assure you that we will defend the sovereignty of the Parliament and the freedom of speech, as well as the lawmakers' right of initiative."

Forcadell called the court decision "an unusual and extremely serious event in a democratic Parliament" that violated "freedom of speech."

Read More