A Spanish court has ordered eight police officials to be put under formal investigation over their alleged role in a
violent crackdown against a banned 2017 independence referendum in Catalonia, according to a ruling published Thursday.
Spanish security officials have defended their handling of a banned independence referendum in Catalonia, saying police had no choice but to use the kind of force captured in violent mages were flashed around the world in 2017.
Catalonia's parliament is to hold a debate and vote Thursday on a new candidate for regional president, Jordi Turull, who risks being disqualified from holding office over his role in the region's separatist drive.
In self-exile in Belgium and wanted in Spain, Catalonia's deposed leader Carles Puigdemont abandoned his bid to return as regional president Thursday in an attempt to unblock the region's political crisis.
A Spanish court on Wednesday issued an arrest warrant valid only in Spain for a former Catalan MP who is in self-imposed exile in Switzerland to avoid jail while she is investigated over her role in the region's secession drive.
A former Catalan lawmaker and major figure in the region's secession attempt has fled to Switzerland ahead of a court hearing in Madrid, comparing the situation in Catalonia to Turkey's post-coup crackdown.
A Spanish judge on Monday allowed leading Catalan separatist Marta Rovira, who faces charges over her region's independence bid, to walk free but ordered her to post bail of €60,000 ($75,000), a source close to the case said.
Ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont on Monday vowed to form a new government despite "threats" from the central government in Madrid, after a Spanish judge refused to re-issue a European warrant for his arrest.
Catalonia's former leader Carles Puigdemont, who was sacked by Madrid over his attempt to break from Spain, said Friday he can govern the region from Belgium where he is in self-exile as he eyes a comeback after scoring big in elections.
The two largest pro-independence parties in Catalonia said Tuesday they had agreed to nominate sacked regional leader Carles Puigdemont for president, despite his self-imposed exile in Belgium and Madrid's insistence he cannot rule remotely.
The separatist party behind Catalonia's deposed president Carles Puigdemont said Friday it is determined to re-elect him remotely as the region's leader, even though he is in Belgian exile and Madrid has warned against such a move.
Spain's government will go to the country's Constitutional Court if Catalonia's former president Carles Puigdemont, in exile in Belgium, attempts to be re-elected into office from abroad, a government source said Thursday.
Separatist parties have a majority in the Catalan parliament which should allow them to govern the region but their favoured candidate Carles Puigdemont, in self-imposed exile, faces a tough path ahead to return as president.
Spain's Supreme Court on Thursday considered an appeal by former Catalan vice president Oriol Junqueras against his jailing while he is investigated for rebellion and sedition over the region's independence drive.
With one candidate speaking via video
conference from Belgium and another sending dispatches from prison, Catalan separatists are engaged in a highly abnormal campaign ahead of pivotal elections on Thursday.
A long-running conflict between Madrid and Barcelona over Catalonia's independence drive is annoying voters in the rest of Spain who feel their concerns are being neglected.
The Catalan economy, one of the most dynamic among Spain's regions, has stalled this autumn during the independence push by its leaders, though analysts aren't yet sure about the long-term consequences.
A Belgian court formally closed extradition proceedings against deposed Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont on Thursday, after Spain dropped the European arrest warrant against him.
A Spanish judge who is investigating ousted Catalan president Carles Puigdemont and his fallen government has expanded the probe to include more separatist leaders ahead of elections next week.
Spain has withdrawn a European arrest warrant for Catalonia's sacked leader Carles Puigdemont and four of his former ministers, who fled to Belgium after the regional parliament declared
unilateral independence, the Supreme Court said Tuesday.
Catalan separatist parties that tried to break away from Spain would lose their absolute majority in regional parliament in elections later this month, an influential opinion poll showed Monday.
Catalonia's sacked vice president and three other separatist leaders will remain in prison pending a probe over their role in the region's independence drive, a Supreme Court judge decided on Monday.
Separatist leaders who were jailed pending a probe into their role in Catalonia's independence drive are to be questioned again Friday by a judge in Madrid who could free them.
Catalonia's deposed leader Carles
Puigdemont on Saturday launched his campaign for regional elections by calling on Catalans to make known their desire for independence.
Ecuador has told WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to avoid making statements that could affect the country's international relations after he expressed support for Catalan independence from Spain, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday.
