Nine Catalan MPS in custody ahead of trial
Puigdemont calls move ‘a mistake’ and demands members of his deposed government are released
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 if they are found guilty.
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.
The lawyer for Carles Puigdemont, the ousted Catalan president said a warrant had also been issued for his client’s arrest – though the statement was dismissed by a senior official in Spain’s high court.
Mr Puigdemont, who has fled to Belgium, last night “demanded” that members of his deposed government be released and said the move was “a serious mistake”.
He called on Catalans to protest against the Spanish authorities “without violence, peacefully and with respect for everybody’s opinions”.
“The fury with which the Spanish government has attacked a beautiful European nation is outrageous and is threatening us all,” Mr Puigdemont said from an undisclosed location in Belgium, adding that Catalonia’s independence is “no longer an internal affair” of Spain. Santi Vila, who quit Mr 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 (£45,000) 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 vicepresident, 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.”
Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish First Minister, last night condemned the decision to jail the officials. “The jailing of elected leaders is wrong,” she tweeted.