Supreme Court broadens independence case investigation

The Supreme Court has broadened the scope of its investigation into pro-independence advocates. The judge Pablo Llarena is now not only investigating the Catalan government members and the Catalan parliament bureau, but also six more officials. Among them, Esquerra Republicana’s secretary general, Marta Rovira, and the former Catalan president Artur Mas. Two CUP former MPs, Anna Gabriel and Mireia Boya, are also being investigated, along with Marta Pascal, the coordinator of Carles Puigdemont’s party, PDeCAT.

A report by Spain’s Guardia Civil police claims that the developments leading to the declaration of independence were led by a strategic committee which included the five new investigated officials. According to the judge, all five played a “relevant and principal role” in the events, and they even “conceived and arranged the rupture process now being investigated.” Yet the Supreme Court has not summoned any of them to appear in court.

Jailed VP Junqueras to testify on January 4
The same case includes the eight Catalan government members who were sent to prison on November 2. While six of them were released after 32 days, two of them are still held in custody, the deposed Catalan Home Affairs minister, Joaquim Forn, and the vice president, Oriol Junqueras. In fact, Junqueras was summoned on Friday to appear in court on January 4. Joaquim Forn, along with the other two pro-independence leaders in jail, Jordi Sànchez and Jordi Cuixart, were summoned to appear in court on January 11.

The investigation also includes the five Catalan executive members who are in Brussels, including President Puigdemont. All of them faced an international arrest warrant for a month until the Supreme Court withdrew it on December 5. Puigdemont said that the withdrawal was due to “fear” that the Belgian judge would decide not to execute the extradition. Some members of the Catalan parliament bureau are also under investigation.