Catalonia’s deposed president Carles Puigdemont on Saturday vowed to “defend the just cause of the Catalan people” as he returned to Belgium. Four months after he was detained in Germany at Madrid’s request, Puigdemont was able to travel to Belgium after a Spanish court dropped a European arrest warrant for him. “This is not the end […] …
Tag: Catalan
Madrid approves new Catalan separatist govt
Spain gave its green light Friday to a new separatist executive in Catalonia that does not include jailed or exiled former ministers, paving the way for Madrid to end direct rule over the region. The central government last month recognised the powers of newly-elected Catalan president Quim Torra but refused to ratify his choice of […] …
Wanted ex-Catalan minister set to surrender
BREAKING: Spain to prosecute 13 Catalan separatists for rebellion
Spain’s Supreme Court said Friday it would prosecute for “rebellion” 13 Catalan separatists, including ousted leader Carles Puigdemont and his nominated successor, over their role in the region’s failed breakaway bid. Judge Pablo Llarena accused Puigdemont, who is in self-imposed exile in Belgium, of organising the independence referendum in October last year despite a ban from […] …
Jailed Catalan separatist Sanchez drops leadership bid
Jordi Sanchez, a separatist civic leader in jail over his alleged role in Catalonia’s secession drive, has dropped his bid to lead the region, the Catalan parliamentary speaker said Wednesday. “Faced with the repeated violation of his fundamental rights… the lawmaker Jordi Sanchez sent me a letter announcing he was renouncing his candidacy,” Roger Torrent […] …
Spanish police raid Catalan govt HQ in vote probe
Spanish police searched the seat of the Catalan regional government in Barcelona on Thursday as part of an investigation into how last year’s banned independence referendum was funded. A Civil Guard spokesperson said the operation targeted the “citizens assistance office” and the offices of the grassroots separatist group Omnium Cultural, whose leader was jailed last year […] …