Nine Catalan politicians locked up by Spanish judge
SPAIN: Nine members of the suspended government of Catalonia have been remanded in custody by a Spanish judge to await trial after being accused of rebellion, sedition and misuse of funds in a case that could lead to prison sentences of up to 30 years each.
The investigating judge at Madrid’s high court agreed to the prosecutor’s request to detain the nine erstwhile Catalan officials.
Prosecutors in the high court also requested a European arrest warrant for Carles Puigdemont, Catalonia’s deposed president, and four other former regional ministers, after they fled to Brussels and refused to attend yesterday’s hearing. Santi Vila, who quit Puigdemont’s government on the eve of Catalonia’s declaration of independence, is the only one of the nine jailed who will be allowed to be released if he pays €50,000 (NZ$84,000) bail.
The Spanish government has imposed direct rule on Catalonia, removing the region’s government and dissolving its parliament.
Imprisoned senior figures from the pro-independence movement such as Oriol Junqueras, the deposed vice-president, may now be unable to take part in campaigning for the election imposed on the region by Mariano Rajoy, the prime minister, on Dec 21. But they could run as candidates from their prison cells as any eventual trial will not take place until at least next year.
Judge Carmen Lamela described the suspects’ actions as ‘‘premeditated’’, noting their ‘‘reiterated and systematic violations of constitutional court rulings’’ as Catalonia’s government drew up laws to create an independent state after holding an illegal referendum.
He also said the accused ‘‘have the capacity to be assisted in their possible fleeing from justice’’. Six Catalan parliament members also facing criminal accusations were granted a week-long postponement of their hearing at the request of lawyers. Carme Forcadell, one of the six, tweeted: ‘‘They are sending a democratically elected government to prison. Unjust. Indecent.’’
Lawyers for some of the accused from Puigdemont’s PDeCAT party suggested that his decision to flee had not helped their clients’ cause. ‘‘When someone avoids a date with justice, it always makes things worse for their fellow accused,’’ said Javier Melero, a defence lawyer for two members.
An open letter sent yesterday to the European Commission and European Council by more than 100 academics criticised the EU’s refusal to mediate in the crisis, as well as its unstinting support for Spain despite scenes of police brutality during the referendum.
– Telegraph Group