Anna Puigdemont, sister of the Catalan president in exile, Carles Puigdemont, has denied, via a statement, that she acted as a link between her brother and his successor, president Quim Torra. She also states she did not participate in a meeting with the arrested members of the CDR (Committees for Defence of the Republic) as claimed by the National Audience; earlier today El Nacional broke the news that she was in hospital that day with her father.

A report yesterday by Cadena SER on the judges orders for the seven to be held in custody without bail alleges that the president's sister took part in a "secret" meeting on 15th September 2018 with some of those arrested last week to "deliver sensitive documentation and establish secure communications" between Puigdemont and Torra.

In the statement, Puigdemont says that for "accredited and documented" family reasons it is "materially impossible" that she took part in the meeting. The evening before, her father had undergone a procedure in hospital; she was visiting him on the day in question.

According to SER, one of the suspects, Ferran Jolis, said that Torra was also in attendance at the meeting, which took place under "great security measures", but the investigators do not believe that to be credible.

The president's sister says that the report is based on "self-interested leaks", part of a "campaign of criminalisation and discrediting" which aims to harm her brother and convince Belgian authorities to extradite him.

"I've not had, nor have, nor will ever have any kind of relationship with violent actions of any kind, nor with the people who perpetrate them," she writes in the statement. Likewise, she says that despite her family's deep conviction of Catalonia's right to fight for independence, they have always considered that desire and struggle "from the most complete commitment to democratic, civil and peaceful paths".