Catalan Politician Leaves for Switzerland Days Before Court Date
- 6 years ago
Catalan Politician Leaves for Switzerland Days Before Court Date
The party said that prosecutors were seeking "very high prison sentences," and it accused the Spanish judiciary of handling the case so far in a way far from "the impartiality
that should be guaranteed by judicial authorities." Spanish politicians on Sunday warned Ms. Gabriel against following Mr. Puigdemont’s example.
18, 2018
MADRID — Anna Gabriel, a leading figure of the separatist movement in Catalonia who is due in court in Madrid this week to face possible charges of sedition
and rebellion, has traveled to Switzerland, raising doubts that she will appear before the judge.
The argument echoed one made by Carles Puigdemont, the region’s former leader, when he fled to Belgium in October after Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy of Spain disbanded the regional government
and the authorities sought Mr. Puigdemont’s arrest on sedition charges.
Mr. Puigdemont hopes to be reappointed leader of Catalonia despite being in Brussels,
and Oriol Junqueras, the leader of the other main separatist party, is being held in prison in Madrid after being denied bail.
They could face charges of sedition and rebellion after advocating independence for Catalonia in violation of the Spanish Constitution, and for organizing a referendum on independence on Oct. 1
that had been declared illegal by the Constitutional Court.
"We’re noting today that it looks as if the modus operandi of Mr. Puigdemont is spreading,"
Andrea Levy, a senior member of Mr. Rajoy’s conservative Popular Party, told reporters.
The party said that prosecutors were seeking "very high prison sentences," and it accused the Spanish judiciary of handling the case so far in a way far from "the impartiality
that should be guaranteed by judicial authorities." Spanish politicians on Sunday warned Ms. Gabriel against following Mr. Puigdemont’s example.
18, 2018
MADRID — Anna Gabriel, a leading figure of the separatist movement in Catalonia who is due in court in Madrid this week to face possible charges of sedition
and rebellion, has traveled to Switzerland, raising doubts that she will appear before the judge.
The argument echoed one made by Carles Puigdemont, the region’s former leader, when he fled to Belgium in October after Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy of Spain disbanded the regional government
and the authorities sought Mr. Puigdemont’s arrest on sedition charges.
Mr. Puigdemont hopes to be reappointed leader of Catalonia despite being in Brussels,
and Oriol Junqueras, the leader of the other main separatist party, is being held in prison in Madrid after being denied bail.
They could face charges of sedition and rebellion after advocating independence for Catalonia in violation of the Spanish Constitution, and for organizing a referendum on independence on Oct. 1
that had been declared illegal by the Constitutional Court.
"We’re noting today that it looks as if the modus operandi of Mr. Puigdemont is spreading,"
Andrea Levy, a senior member of Mr. Rajoy’s conservative Popular Party, told reporters.