This article is from the source 'guardian' 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 http://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/09/catalan-parliament-speaker-carme-forcadell-due-in-madrid-court-on-sedition-charge
The article has changed 10 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Catalan parliament speaker appears in court on sedition charge | Catalan parliament speaker appears in court on sedition charge |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The speaker of the Catalan parliament and five of its members appeared before Spain’s supreme court in Madrid on Thursday to answer charges of rebellion and sedition over their roles in staging a banned referendum on Catalonia’s independence last month. | The speaker of the Catalan parliament and five of its members appeared before Spain’s supreme court in Madrid on Thursday to answer charges of rebellion and sedition over their roles in staging a banned referendum on Catalonia’s independence last month. |
| The court will decide whether to remand Carme Forcadell and the five MPs in custody while the investigation continues or release them under certain conditions. | The court will decide whether to remand Carme Forcadell and the five MPs in custody while the investigation continues or release them under certain conditions. |
| Eight former members of the Catalan government and the leaders of the two main grassroots pro-independence groups are already in custody awaiting trial on sedition charges for their parts in the 1 October referendum, which Spanish courts ruled illegal. | |
| Spain’s constitutional court strikes down parts of a 2006 charter on Catalan autonomy that had originally increased the region’s fiscal and judicial powers and described it as a “nation”. The court rules that using the word “nation” has no legal value and also rejects the “preferential” use of Catalan over Spanish in municipal services. Almost two weeks later, hundreds of thousands protest on the streets of Barcelona, chanting “We are a nation! We decide!” | |
| At the height of Spain’s economic crisis, more than a million people protest in Barcelona on Catalonia’s national day, demanding independence in what will become a peaceful, annual show of strength. | |
| The pro-independence government of Artur Mas defies the Madrid government and Spain’s constitutional court by holding a symbolic vote on independence. Turnout is just 37%, but more than 80% of those who voted - 1.8 million people - vote in favour of Catalan sovereignty. | |
| Carles Puigdemont, who has replaced Mas as regional president, announces an independence referendum will be held on 1 October. Spain’s central government says it will block the referendum using all the legal and political means at its disposal. | |
| The Catalan parliament approves referendum legislation after a heated, 11-hour session that sees 52 opposition MPs walk out of the chamber in Barcelona in protest at the move. Spain’s constitutional court suspends the legislation the following day, but the Catalan government vows to press ahead with the vote. | |
| Police arrest 14 Catalan government officials suspected of organising the referendum and announce they have seized nearly 10 million ballots destined for the vote. Some 40,000 people protest against the police crackdown in Barcelona and Puigdemont accuses the Spanish government of effectively suspending regional autonomy and declaring a de facto state of emergency. | |
| Close to 900 people are injured as police attempt to stop the referendum from taking place. The Catalan government says 90% voted for independence on a turnout of 43%. | |
| Spanish government takes control of Catalonia and dissolves its parliament after secessionist Catalan MPs voted to establish an independent republic. Spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, fires regional president, Carles Puigdemont, and orders regional elections to be held on 21 December. | |
| The region’s deposed president, Carles Puigdemont, and four of his former cabinet ministers went into self-imposed exile in Belgium last week after Madrid responded to Catalonia’s declaration of independence by firing his administration, dissolving the parliament and calling regional elections for December. | The region’s deposed president, Carles Puigdemont, and four of his former cabinet ministers went into self-imposed exile in Belgium last week after Madrid responded to Catalonia’s declaration of independence by firing his administration, dissolving the parliament and calling regional elections for December. |
| Spain’s high court issued an arrest warrant for for all five last week on sedition and rebellion charges. | Spain’s high court issued an arrest warrant for for all five last week on sedition and rebellion charges. |
| Forcadell and the five MPs were summoned last week to the supreme court, which handles cases of people who enjoy parliamentary immunity, but it gave them more time to prepare their defences. | Forcadell and the five MPs were summoned last week to the supreme court, which handles cases of people who enjoy parliamentary immunity, but it gave them more time to prepare their defences. |
| They are suspected of having followed a “concerted strategy to declare independence” before the official declaration of the Catalan parliament on 27 October, which Spain’s constitutional court annulled on Wednesday in the country’s most serious political crisis in 40 years of democracy. | They are suspected of having followed a “concerted strategy to declare independence” before the official declaration of the Catalan parliament on 27 October, which Spain’s constitutional court annulled on Wednesday in the country’s most serious political crisis in 40 years of democracy. |
| Catalonia’s push for independence has divided Spain deeply, fuelling anti-Spanish sentiment in Catalonia and nationalist tendencies elsewhere. | |
| Cracks, however, have appeared in the pro-independence coalition and within Puigdemont’s Democratic Catalan party (PdeCat party). | Cracks, however, have appeared in the pro-independence coalition and within Puigdemont’s Democratic Catalan party (PdeCat party). |
| Catalan secessionist parties failed to agree on a united ticket to contest the December election on Tuesday, making it more difficult to rule the region after the vote and press ahead with their collective bid to split from Spain. | Catalan secessionist parties failed to agree on a united ticket to contest the December election on Tuesday, making it more difficult to rule the region after the vote and press ahead with their collective bid to split from Spain. |
| Protesters blocked main roads and railway tracks in Catalonia on Wednesday as part of a region-wide strike called by a pro-independence CSC union. | Protesters blocked main roads and railway tracks in Catalonia on Wednesday as part of a region-wide strike called by a pro-independence CSC union. |
| Spain’s two largest unions did not support the industrial action, but roads including Spain’s export route to France and the rest of Europewere cut in about 60 places causing widespread disruption. | Spain’s two largest unions did not support the industrial action, but roads including Spain’s export route to France and the rest of Europewere cut in about 60 places causing widespread disruption. |
| More than 2,000 businesses have moved their headquarters out of Catalonia as the turmoil drags on. | More than 2,000 businesses have moved their headquarters out of Catalonia as the turmoil drags on. |
| Fresh elections will be held in Catalonia on 21 December, and Spain’s prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, called on Wednesday for “massive participation” in the vote. | Fresh elections will be held in Catalonia on 21 December, and Spain’s prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, called on Wednesday for “massive participation” in the vote. |
| Although the separatists won a majority of seats in 2015, they captured less than half of the votes cast, and polls show Catalans remain split over independence. | Although the separatists won a majority of seats in 2015, they captured less than half of the votes cast, and polls show Catalans remain split over independence. |