Puigdemont investigated for terrorism over Tsunami Democràtic protests

Spain's National Court has added former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont and Esquerra General Secretary Marta Rovira in its investigation into the protest group Tsunami Democràtic. 

The pair, both living in exile since the peak of the independence crisis in 2017, are being investigated along with ten others. 

The judge is investigating potential crimes of terrorism for actions done by the anonymous protest group. However, the public prosecutor will appeal against the decision, as they do not believe the events constitute a crime of terrorism. 

Operating through instant messaging application Telegram, Tsunami Democràtic organized protests such as the blockade of the AP-7 highway near France and the attempt to shut down the Barcelona airport after the sentencing of the referendum organizers in 2019. 

Last Friday, it was confirmed that a Spanish Guardia Civil police report used in the investigation cited Marta Rovira as the coordinator of the group.

That report also said the group's activity was not the result of a spontaneous civic movement, but rather designed by pro-independence parties to put pressure on Spain. 

In an interlocutory order of 34 pages, National Court judge Manuel García-Castellón offers Puigdemont, as an MEP, the possibility of voluntarily appearing before the court.

The resolution considers it "necessary" to summon Puigdemont to hear his testimony on the matters under investigation. 

"His summons, at this time could not be made in any other condition than that of an investigated party, […] given that the interrogation would deal with issues of an evidently incriminating nature."  

The judge argues that Puigdemont allegedly participated in meetings held in Geneva in August 2019, in which protest actions of the Tsunami Democràtic group may have been planned.   

The judge reached this conclusion after analyzing the agenda and conversations of the mobile phone of Josep Lluís Alay, one of Carles Puigdemont’s chief advisors. 

Reacting to the news on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, Puigdemont said "It is the permanent coup d'état that they love to relive, be it with swords (weapons) or with judicial robes." 

Also included in the investigation are activists Josep Lluís Alay, Oriol Soler, Xavier Vendrell, Marta Molina, Josep Campmajó, Jesús Rodríguez, Jaume Cabani, Oleguer Serra and Nicola Flavio Giulio Foglia.

The judge will also call as witnesses former ERC spokesperson Marta Vilalta and the leader of Basque party EH Bildu, Arnaldo Otegi, in order to clarify what happened at a meeting in Geneva in 2019. Judges believe that some Tsunami Democràtic actions may have been planned at this meeting.