Jailed, exiled ministers find place in Catalonia govt

Catalonia's new president Quim Torra on Saturday named two former ministers jailed by Madrid for backing independence from Spain, together with two others who fled into exile, to his regional government.

Torra appointed his government by decree, but it could still be blocked by Spain, which has insisted his administration be "legal and viable" after it imposed direct rule on the region in October when the then Catalan government declared independence.

Torra -- who was elected by the Catalan parliament on Monday and sworn in on Thursday -- named 13 "advisors" to his government, including Jordi Turull and Josep Rull, who are currently being held in custody just outside Madrid.

Two others, Toni Comin and Lluis Puig, are in exile in Belgium, where they fled with deposed Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont.

Turull and Rull both accepted their nominations on Twitter. Their lawyers have asked for both to be freed provisionally so they can take up their duties from Wednesday.