Catalan cabinet summoned to Madrid for rebellion probe

Leader Puigdemont denies he has fled to seek political asylum

A Spanish judge has summoned the ousted Catalan Cabinet to appear this week in Madrid as part of a rebellion probe for pushing ahead with an independence declaration.

The fired president Carles Puigdemont and five other former members of his Cabinet are in Brussels seeking “freedom and safety”, Mr Puigdemont told reporters yesterday.

He said he would return home if there were “guarantees” of a fair judicial process.

Spain’s chief prosecutor is seeking charges of rebellion, sedition and embezzlement against Mr Puigdemont, his number two Oriol Junqueras and 12 more members of the ousted Catalan government.

Under Spanish law, the crimes can be punished with decades in prison.

Investigating judge Carmen Lamela said the group should appear in the National Court in Madrid tomorrow at 9am for interrogations that would last through Friday.

Earlier, a day after he arrived in Brussels, Carles Puigdemont told a packed news conference he had no intention of seeking political asylum in the Belgian capital.

“Here we have better guarantees for our rights and we can meet our obligations from here,” he said at the Brussels Press Club, which is right next to the European Union’s headquarters.

Mr Puigdemont said he and his team will stay in Brussels and “continue our work despite the limits imposed on us”.

The Spanish government has cracked down on Mr Puigdemont’s attempt to take Catalonia, a wealthy region of some 7.5 million people, out of Spain.

The government has said Mr Puigdemont flouted the Constitution by holding an October 1 independence referendum.

The Catalan parliament approved a motion declaring independence last week, but the Spanish Constitution says Spain is “indivisible”.

Picture: Getty. Carles Puigdemont has travelled to Brussels to seek “freedom and safety” he said.