The ex-vice president of the dislodged separatist Catalan parliament and three other leaders are to remain jailed in Madrid, due to today’s ruling by Madrid’s Supreme Court. Oriol Junqueras, was removed from his post and the separatist Catalan regional government was dissolved by the national Spanish government in October of this year.
Leaders of the Catalan government removed by the Spanish Government using ‘Article 151’ of the Spanish constitution. Joaquim Forn of the interior department and two other pro independence leaders will stay jailed in Madrid. The judge’s reason for not allowing jail was that he believed that the ex-vice president and the other three leaders would attempt to continue with the independence movement. He went on to say that there is a “possibility that acts could happen again with serious, immediate and irreparable consequences for the community.”
Another six ex-ministers have been more fortunate, and the held independistas were granted bail by the ruling judge Pablo Llarena at the Supreme Court.
Election campaigns for the forced election of December 21st are due to start from midnight tonight. With everything that has happened in the last month, including Guardia Civil violence, but also the moving of several companies from Catalonia due to uncertainty, it remains to be seen whether voters in Catalonia will increase their drive for independence or settle for what they have.
Today, Carles Puigdemont the ex-president of the Generalitat is attending Brussels Palais de Justice. The ruling will determine if Puigdemont should be extradited to Spain due to the current European Arrest Warrant (EAW), which Spain issued. Shortly after the ex-Catalan president announced unilateral independence from Spain, he fled to Brussels in Belgium, fearing retribution from the Spanish authorities.