Prosecutor requests pre-trial jail for five pro-independence leaders

The Spanish prosecutor requested pre-trial jail for the five pro-independence leaders who attended a hearing in the Spanish Supreme Court this Friday morning. The indicted officials facing this precautionary measures include the candidate for president Jordi Turull, the former parliament speaker Carme Forcadell and three ministers of the sacked Puigdemont cabinet: Raül Romeva, Josep Rull, and Dolors Bassa. The judge will decide shortly on this request.

The prosecutor has asked for such measures on the grounds that they pose a flight risk, as well as a risk of repeat offense.  

Ahead of their hearing, the three summoned senior Esquerra Republicana (ERC) politicians – deposed minister Dolors Bassa, former Parliament speaker Carme Forcadell and secretary general Marta Rovira – stepped down as MPs. The first two attended the hearing, while the latter announced shortly beforehand that she had gone into exile.

Presidential candidate

Jordi Turull, spokesman of the deposed Carles Puigdemont government and current presidential candidate for Junts per Catalunya (JxCat), is keeping his seat. Dismissed ministers Raül Romeva (ERC) and Josep Rull (JxCat) have also chosen the same route. All of them but Rovira have already spent time in pre-trial jail. While Rull, Turull, Romeva, and Bassa spent 32 days incarcerated last autumn, Forcadell spent a night behind bars last November. They are all now free on a bail, but the judge is reconsidering this status.

As Jordi Turull is the presidential candidate, and after a failed debate to swear him in on Thursday, he now is facing a second round of votes in Parliament, set for Saturday morning. In the event he is jailed, though, it is not yet clear whether the session would be held, and what would happen with his bid for the post.

Spain’s prosecutor demands arrest warrants for Catalan officials abroad

Spain’s attorney general also asked the Supreme Court to reactivate the European arrest warrants issued against deposed Catalan president Carles Puigdemont and his ministers, Toni Comin, Lluís Puig, Meritxell Serret and Clara Ponsatí. All of the former officials left for Belgium following a declaration of independence by the Catalan parliament in October.

The prosecutor also asked the court to issue international arrest warrants against former MP, Anna Gabriel, currently in Switzerland, and Marta Rovira, secretary general of the ERC pro-independence party, who this morning announced she had sought refuge abroad rather than appear at a hearing in the Supreme Court.

Alleged concealment of assets

Meanwhile, the head Spanish prosecutor in Catalonia also opened on Friday an investigation also to Jordi Turull for alleged concealment of assets. Specifically, Turull is investigated for having donated “a big part” of his assets to his wife few months before the October 1 referendum.