Ousted Catalan leader summoned to court
Carles Puigdemont is under investigation for sedition, rebellion, misuse of funds
Ousted Catalan President Carles Puigdemont was summoned to a Spanish court on suspicion of sedition, forcing the rebel leader to choose between a possible 30-year jail term and life as a leader in exile.
Puigdemont fled to Brussels after Spain seized control of his semi-autonomous government in response to Catalonia’s declaration of independence.
Late on Tuesday, there were conflicting reports as to the ousted leader’s whereabouts: La Vanguardia said he was on his way to Barcelona, while El Pais and others said he was still in Brussels.
Earlier in the day Puigdemont — who has long said he’d go to jail for his cause — said he wouldn’t go back to Spain without “guarantees” of a fair trial.
He said the politicized Spanish courts are bent on revenge rather than justice, as he painted himself as a leader in exile.
Puigdemont and his former team are summoned to appear on Thursday and Friday at the National Court, which is investigating them for sedition, rebellion and misuse of funds. The charges carry jail terms of up to 30 years, and the court demanded $7.2 million (U.S.) as a surety for the group. If they don’t pay, their assets will be frozen.
Puigdemont said Madrid was planning to unleash a wave of aggression against Catalans and he had decided against resisting Spain’s orders in order to keep citizens safe. But the sudden departure of the leader who came to power on a pledge to deliver independence caught supporters by surprise — and disappointed those who were preparing a resistance. Three days after Catalonia was declared an independent republic, Ma- drid took control of the entire Catalan administration, including the police, as all protest melted away.
The deposed leader said he decided to go to Brussels to pressurize the European Union to get involved in the conflict.
But his efforts were rebuffed as the bloc reiterated his stance that the matter was an internal one for Spain.
As events surrounding Puigdemont took a surreal turn, back in Barcelona splits in the pro-independence camp were becoming clearer.
Aregional election called for Dec. 21 will decide on the makeup of the next Catalan parliament and also the road ahead for the region that is Spain’s economic powerhouse.
While Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s success in taming the rebellion has bolstered his standing, Catalonia remains deeply divided.
A poll showed on Tuesday 40 per cent back independence, up from 35 per cent in June.
That’s still far below the peak of 49 per cent seen in 2013, although another survey on Monday showed 76 per cent of Catalans want to be able to take part in an official referendum.