Eighteen Catalan pro-independence politicians, who voted for unilateral declaration of independence in the regional parliament about a year ago, will be tried in the Supreme Court of Spain in early 2019, local media reported on Thursday.
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th October, 2018) Eighteen Catalan pro-independence politicians, who voted for unilateral declaration of independence in the regional parliament about a year ago, will be tried in the Supreme Court of Spain in early 2019, local media reported on Thursday.
According to El Pais newspaper, the court has announced the completion of investigation earlier in the day.
Among those facing charges are former Catalan Vice President Oriol Junqueras, former speaker of the parliament Carme Forcadell, and former regional ministers Joaquim Forn, Jordi Turull and Raul Romeva.
The Supreme Court has ruled that these politicians, as well as other Catalan leaders who fled Spain to avoid arrest, including former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont, have been plotting the declaration of independence at any cost, thus violating the Spanish Constitution, laws, and previous rulings of Spanish Constitutional Court that annulled the regional government's pro-secession initiatives.
Junqueras, who is the leader of the Catalan Republican Left (ERC), and Forn have been in custody since November 2 last year.
On October 1, 2017, Catalonia held an independence vote, which resulted in over 90 percent of those who voted backing the region's autonomy. Madrid objected to the referendum and refused to recognize its results. On October 27, 2017, the Catalan parliament declared independence, which prompted the Spanish government to dismiss the regional government and impose direct rule over Catalonia.
