Spanish judge jails proposed Catalan leader hours ahead of planned inauguration

Catalan presidential candidate Jordi Turull walks past Spanish police officers as he arrives to the Supreme Court
Catalan presidential candidate Jordi Turull walks past Spanish police officers as he arrives to the Supreme Court Credit: AP Photo/Francisco Seco

Spain’s Supreme Court on Friday opened rebellion prosecutions against 13 Catalan independence leaders, jailing the proposed successor to deposed president Carles Puigdemont hours ahead of his planned inauguration.

Judge Pablo Llarena charged Mr Puigdemont and other separatist politicians with crimes that could see them sent to prison for up to 30 years over their role in October’s banned referendum and declaration of independence.

Jordi Turull, the latest presidential candidate, was last night ordered into preventative prison along with four others, a move that will frustrate secessionists’ efforts to have him inaugurated in a session scheduled for Saturday morning. 

Supreme Court judge Pablo Llarena also issued international arrest warrants against Catalonia's former president Carles Puigdemont and four others involved in the region's independence movement who are now in self-imposed exile in Belgium.

An international warrant was also issued for a sixth Catalan separatist Marta Rovira who failed to appear in court on Friday and is now in non-EU Switzerland, according to Spanish media.

Pro-independence demonstrators hold signs reading "United against repression" during a protest
Pro-independence demonstrators hold signs reading "United against repression" during a protest Credit: LUIS GENE/AFP/Getty Images

Mr Turull is pro-independence parties’ “Plan C” to form an autonomous government and lift direct rule, after previous presidential candidates including Mr Puigdemont were blocked by the courts.

On Thursday, Mr Turull lost a first round of voting after the abstention of hard line secessionist party the CUP, forcing today's second round at which he must be present.

In response, thousands of pro-independence supporters took to the streets across Catalonia.

Twenty-four protesters were lightly injured in clashes with police, emergency services said.

Riot police used batons to keep the demonstrators away from the federal government offices in Barcelona.

Demonstrators light flares during a protest called by pro-independence movements in Barcelona 
Demonstrators light flares during a protest called by pro-independence movements in Barcelona  Credit: PAU BARRENA/AFP

The judge ruled that the five - who had previously been bailed while under investigation - posed a high risk of reoffending or fleeing the country. 

Opening the prosecutions, Mr Llarena accused the politicians of adopting a "criminal design" to procure an independent Catalan Republic, a drive which he judged they had not relinquished.

As well as former government members, rebellion charges were also brought against the two jailed protest leaders, Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Cuixart, the former parliamentary speaker Carmen Forcadell, and the secretary-general of the pro-independence party ERC, Marta Rovira.

Twelve other secessionist politicians will be tried for lesser crimes of disobedience and misappropriation of public funds.

Ms Rovira refused to appear at Friday’s hearing, instead becoming the seventh Catalan separatist to flee the country. 

In a letter to Catalan media, she said she had chosen “the path of exile” as the only way to “recover (her) political voice” in the face of a government that “is willing to violate the rule of law and civil liberties to achieve its political ends”. 

Ms Rovira, who made no mention of her whereabouts, said fleeing was also the only way to continue being a mother to her daughter, Inés.

Mr Puigdemont, who left for Belgium along with four cabinet members in late October, said on a visit to Helsinki that he gave his “total support” to Ms Rovira, of whose plans he insisted he had had no knowledge.

She “has a right to defend herself in a setting where rights are respected,” he added. 

Carlos Carrizosa, the Catalan parliamentary spokesman for the unionist party Ciudadanos, said that with the failure to approve Mr Turull as president on Thursday, it was clear the independence process was "finished". Ms Rovira's flight, he added, showed it was now "every man for himself".

 

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