It's more than two years since the president of Catalan cultural association Òmnium, Jordi Cuixart, was sent to pretrial jail for his role in the 2017 independence push. Today, the organisation he leads has confirmed he is taking advantage of 48 hours' permission to leave prison . He is spending the time, his first out of custody since 2017, with his family and will make no public appearances.

In Spain, prisoners are classified in one of three categories: "first degree" is a maximum-security regime which sees inmates locked in their cells 22 hours a day; "second degree" is the ordinary classification; "third degree" is a form of semi-freedom. In the latter case, prisoners can leave custody during the day, returning to prison only to sleep. "Second-degree" prisoners can leave for a total of 36 days a year after they have served a quarter of their sentence.

In October last year, Cuixart was sentenced to nine years in prison for sedition, alongside eight others. They are all now classified as second degree. Having the shortest sentences, and having served the most time in pretrial detention, Cuixart and Jordi Sànchez are the first eligible for such permission, and Cuixart is now the first to take advantage of it.

🔸 [COMUNICAT] 🔸

Òmnium Cultural confirma que el president de l’entitat, @jcuixart, està fent ús del seu primer permís en família un cop ha complert el primer quart de la condemna de 9 anys de presó. Durant aquest permís de 48 hores, Jordi Cuixart no tindrà agenda pública. — Òmnium Cultural (@omnium) 16 de gener de 2020

Translation: "[Statement] Òmnium Cultural confirms that the body's president, Jordi Cuixart, is making use of his first family leave having completed the first quarter of his sentence to 9 years in prison. During this 48 hours, he will have no public agenda."

Des d'Òmnium reiterem que @jcuixart està fent ús dels drets que li corresponen com a pres polític i als quals no renunciarà. — Òmnium Cultural (@omnium) January 16, 2020

"From Òmnium, we reiterate that Cuixart is making use of the rights that correspond to him as a political prisoner and which he won't renounce."

En aquest sentit, des de l’entitat refermem que @jcuixart no s’acollirà a cap mesura concebuda com a reinserció o que impliqui el reconeixement de cap delicte basat en l’exercici de drets fonamentals com avalen diferents posicionaments internacionals. — Òmnium Cultural (@omnium) January 16, 2020

"In this sense, from Òmnium we restate that he won't accept any measure conceived as rehabilitation or which implies recognising any charge based on exercising fundamental rights as endorsed by different international statements."

Jordi Cuixart va entrar a la presó com a president d’Òmnium i, si així ho volen els seus socis, en sortirà com a president de l’entitat. — Òmnium Cultural (@omnium) January 16, 2020

"Jordi Cuixart entered prison as president of Òmnium and, if its members want, he will leave it as the body's president."

A number of figures from public life, including Catalan president Quim Torra and the speaker of the Catalan Parliament, Roger Torrent, were quick to react to the news.

"Dear Jordi Cuixart!"

"We love you, Jordi Cuixart"

⬛️⬜️ Ens alegrem per @jcuixart i la seva família que gaudeixi del seu primer permís, però no ho podem celebrar, ja que segueix complint una condemna injusta. Com a entitat ens comprometem a seguir lluitant per l’#ObjectiuIndependència i per la nul·litat d’aquests segrests. — Assemblea Nacional 🧭 (@assemblea) January 16, 2020

ANC: "We're happy for Jordi Cuixart and his family that he's enjoying his first leave, but we cannot celebrate it, since he's still serving an unjust sentence. As an organisation, we commit to continuing to fight for the objective of independence and for the annulling of these kidnappings."