This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/06/world/europe/catalonia-referendum-sedition.html

The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
Catalonia Police Chief Appears in Court Amid Sedition Investigation Catalonia Government Declares Overwhelming Vote for Independence
(about 5 hours later)
BARCELONA, Spain — Catalonia’s police chief appeared in Spain’s national court on Friday to answer claims that his officers had failed to protect their Spanish colleagues during pro-independence demonstrations, an accusation that could lead to sedition charges. BARCELONA, Spain — The Catalan government said on Friday that the official results of last Sunday’s independence referendum showed it had passed overwhelmingly, setting up a potential showdown with the central government in Madrid.
The hearing occurred behind closed doors, and as he left the courtroom, the chief, Josep Lluís Trapero, said that he was “very satisfied” with his appearance before a judge. He gave no further details. Under their own laws, Catalan separatists had pledged to make the official vote result binding within 48 hours and unilaterally declare independence.
Chief Trapero had been summoned by the national government in Madrid after officers from Catalonia’s autonomous police force, the Mossos d’Esquadra, were accused of failing to assist Spanish police officers who were trapped for hours on Sept. 20 in a government building in Barcelona, the Catalan capital, while surrounded by tens of thousands of pro-independence demonstrators. Anticipating such a declaration, Spanish courts had suspended a session of Catalonia’s Parliament that was scheduled for Monday. Carles Puigdemont, Catalonia’s separatist leader, is now set to appear before lawmakers on Tuesday instead, delaying but by no means averting a confrontation with the national government in Madrid.
The Spanish officers were not injured, but protesters damaged police vehicles. If Catalan separatists were to declare independence unilaterally, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy would most likely use emergency powers to take full administrative control of Catalonia, which could involve replacing the Catalan police force with Spanish police officers.
The national court also summoned another Catalan police official, Teresa Laplana, and the leaders of the two main Catalan pro-independence civil groups — Jordi Sanchez of the Catalan National Assembly and Jordi Cuixart of Omnium Cultural — to explain their role in the protests. As the political standoff over Catalonia reaches a boiling point, the actions, and loyalty, of Spain’s various security forces have become a major point of contention.
The four were expected to reappear in court in Madrid in the coming days, after a prosecutor presents new evidence. The central government in Madrid had sent thousands of national police officers from outside Catalonia to block Sunday’s referendum. After Catalonia’s own police force failed to do so, the national forces moved in with batons and rubber bullets, wounding hundreds.
The Spanish officers had entered the building to detain a dozen Catalan officials and to confiscate documents and materials relating to an independence referendum that Spain had ordered suspended. The contentious referendum vote was held anyway, this past Sunday, and spurred violent clashes between the Spanish police and Catalans that left hundreds injured, including dozens of officers.
The government in Madrid has maintained that the national police acted proportionally, but its representative in Barcelona, Enric Millo, offered the first apology on Friday for the injuries.The government in Madrid has maintained that the national police acted proportionally, but its representative in Barcelona, Enric Millo, offered the first apology on Friday for the injuries.
“When I know that people got hit, I can only say sorry,” Mr. Millo said on Catalan television.“When I know that people got hit, I can only say sorry,” Mr. Millo said on Catalan television.
Separatist lawmakers have vowed to turn the results of the referendum into a unilateral declaration of independence next week, despite an order from Spain’s Constitutional Court to suspend the parliamentary session. A Barcelona judge is investigating the clashes that occurred during the vote. In a preliminary ruling on Friday, the judge said that the Spanish police had no reason to crack down on residents taking part in an illegal vote and “placing a paper without any legal value into a ballot box.”
On Friday morning, Carles Puigdemont, Catalonia’s separatist leader, asked to appear before lawmakers on Tuesday, a day later than initially scheduled, to circumvent the court’s order. At the same time, Catalonia’s police chief was called before Spain’s national court to answer complaints that his officers had failed to protect their Spanish colleagues during pro-independence demonstrations, an accusation that could lead to sedition charges.
As the political standoff over Catalonia reaches a boiling point, the loyalty of Spain’s different security forces has become a major point of contention. If Catalan separatists were to declare independence unilaterally, the Spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, would most likely use emergency powers to take full administrative control of Catalonia, which could involve replacing the Mossos with thousands of Spanish police officers. The hearing occurred behind closed doors, and as he left the courtroom, the chief, Josep Lluís Trapero, said that he was “very satisfied” with his appearance before a judge. He gave no further details.
During the referendum vote on Sunday, the national police confiscated ballot boxes after the Mossos declined to close polling stations before the voting, as Madrid had ordered. The national court also summoned another Catalan police official, Teresa Laplana, and the leaders of the two main Catalan pro-independence civil groups — Jordi Sanchez of the Catalan National Assembly and Jordi Cuixart of Omnium Cultural — to explain their role in pro-independence demonstrations.
The constitutional crisis is forcing companies in the country to adjust their operations, while significantly raising the risk premium demanded by investors for holding Spanish and Catalan debt. Spain’s borrowing costs rose this week to their highest level since March. The constitutional crisis has begun to sow significant jitters among companies. Some are adjusting their operations, while significantly raising the risk premium demanded by investors for holding Spanish and Catalan debt. Spain’s borrowing costs rose this week to their highest level since March.
On Friday, the board of CaixaBank, the largest financial institution based in Catalonia, was to meet to decide whether to follow the example of Sabadell, another major Catalan bank, which announced on Thursday that it would move its legal headquarters to Alicante, on Spain’s eastern coast. On Friday, the board of CaixaBank, the largest financial institution based in Catalonia, voted to move its legal headquarters to Valencia, following the example of Sabadell, another major Catalan bank, which announced on Thursday that it would move its headquarters to Alicante, on Spain’s eastern coast.
Relocating would guarantee the banks continued access to funding from the European Central Bank and would allow them to remain under European Union jurisdiction, even if a new Catalan republic were formed outside the bloc and ended up being cut off from the eurozone.Relocating would guarantee the banks continued access to funding from the European Central Bank and would allow them to remain under European Union jurisdiction, even if a new Catalan republic were formed outside the bloc and ended up being cut off from the eurozone.
Freixenet, a major producer of Catalonian sparkling wine, cava, also said it would relocate if Catalonia declared unilateral independence. On Friday, Spain’s government adopted a decree to facilitate the legal relocation of companies outside Catalonia. Luis de Guindos, Spain’s economy minister, said at a news conference that Madrid was committed to helping companies grow, but also understood that they needed to adjust to what he called the “irresponsible” policies of the Catalan government.
Another major Catalonia-based company, Gas Natural, is moving its legal seat to Madrid. Freixenet, the leading producer of Catalonian sparkling wine, cava, also said it would relocate if Catalonia declared unilateral independence.
On Friday, one of the main labor unions in Catalonia said it wanted to call a one-week general strike, starting next Tuesday. A strike last Tuesday brought a large part of the Catalan transport network to a standstill.
“People are starting to get scared, and that’s bad news,” José Luis Bonet, the president of Freixenet, said on national radio Friday. “If we’re really heading for a unilateral declaration of independence, there will be an important departure of companies from Catalonia, which would cause very serious damage to Catalonia.”“People are starting to get scared, and that’s bad news,” José Luis Bonet, the president of Freixenet, said on national radio Friday. “If we’re really heading for a unilateral declaration of independence, there will be an important departure of companies from Catalonia, which would cause very serious damage to Catalonia.”
This week, Mr. Puigdemont, Catalonia’s leader, requested international mediation to help resolve the conflict, but the proposal was rejected by the prime minister and fell on deaf ears in Brussels and other capitals in the European Union.This week, Mr. Puigdemont, Catalonia’s leader, requested international mediation to help resolve the conflict, but the proposal was rejected by the prime minister and fell on deaf ears in Brussels and other capitals in the European Union.
But the Foreign Ministry of Switzerland, which is not part of the European Union, is offering to mediate the conflict, according to Swiss national radio.But the Foreign Ministry of Switzerland, which is not part of the European Union, is offering to mediate the conflict, according to Swiss national radio.