Spanish court jails two pro-independence leaders

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Spain moved closer on Monday to imposing central rule over Catalonia to thwart its independence push as Madrid's High Court signaled a hardening line by jailing the leaders of two of the largest organizations pushing for a split.

Marking the first time senior figures in the pro-independence camp have been imprisoned since Catalonia's October 1 independence referendum, the court ordered the heads of the Catalan National Assembly (ANC) and the grassroots Omnium movement held without bail pending an investigation for alleged sedition.

Prosecutors allege that the ANC's Jordi Sanchez and Omnium's Jordi Cuixart played central roles in orchestrating pro-independence protests that last month trapped national police inside a Barcelona building and destroyed their vehicles.

Jordi Cuixart (L), leader of Omnium Cultural, and Jordi Sanchez of the Catalan National Assembly (ANC), arrive to the High Court in Madrid, Spain, October 16, 2017. /Reuters Photo

Catalan regional President Carles Puigdemont commented on Twitter: "Spain jails Catalonia's civil society leaders for organizing peaceful demonstrations. Sadly, we have political prisoners again" – an allusion to past military dictatorship.

The High Court also banned the Catalan police chief, Josep Luis Trapero, from leaving Spain and seized his passport while he is being investigated for alleged sedition over the same incident, though it did not order his arrest.

Trapero is a hero to those backing Catalonia's split from Spain after his force took a much softer stance than national police in enforcing the ban on the referendum. Prosecutors say he failed to order his force to rescue national police trapped inside the Barcelona building.

Judge Carmen Lamela ruled that there was insufficient evidence to detain Trapero but did not rule out doing so if more evidence became available.

Another ultimatum

In a confrontation viewed with mounting alarm in European capitals and financial markets, Puigdemont failed on Monday to respond to Madrid's ultimatum to clarify whether he had declared unilateral independence in a speech last week.

He now has until Thursday to back down.

In a letter to Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, Puigdemont gave no direct answer on the independence issue, instead making a "sincere and honest" offer for dialogue between the two men over the next two months.

A Spanish Civil Guard van carrying Jordi Cuixart, leader of Omnium Cultural, and Jordi Sanchez of the Catalan National Assembly (ANC), leaves the High Court in Madrid, Spain, October 16, 2017. /Reuters Photo

In response, Rajoy said Puigdemont's stance had brought Madrid closer to triggering Article 155 of the constitution, under which it can impose direct rule on any of the country's 17 autonomous communities if they break the law.

The Catalan government's campaign to break away from Spain has pitched the country into its worst political crisis since an abortive coup attempt in 1981.

Thousands have demonstrated in the Catalan capital Barcelona and other Spanish cities both for and against independence. So far the crisis has been largely violence-free, except for the day of the referendum when national police assaulted voters with batons and rubber bullets in an effort to thwart the ballot.

The ANC, which has organized protests of hundreds of thousands of pro-independence activists in the past, called on Monday after the court ruling for peaceful demonstrations in front of the Spanish government delegation offices in the Catalan cities of Barcelona, Girona, Lleida and Tarragona.

Protesters hold up signs reading "Freedom Political Prisoners, Sanchez Cuixart" outside the regional government headquarters after Spain's High Court jailed Jordi Sanchez and Omnium's Jordi Cuixart, in Barcelona, Spain, October 16, 2017. ‍/Reuters Photo

The Catalan government says 90 percent of voters in the referendum backed a breakaway, but turnout was only 43 percent as most opponents of independence in the region boycotted the vote, already declared illegal by Spain's Constitutional Court.

Source(s): AFP ,Reuters