A Spanish judge has ordered the arrest of the presidents of the two major pro-independence organizations of Catalan civil society Anc and Omnium, Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Cuixart, accused of "sedition" for the peaceful demonstrations in Barcelona on 20 and 21 September, reports Tv3.
“Spain is jailing the leaders of Catalonia's civil society for organizing peaceful demonstrations. Unfortunately there are again political prisoners”: thus the Catalan president Carles Puigdemont reacted on twitter to the arrest this evening of Jordi Sachez and Jordi Cuixart, presidents of the ANC and Omnium.
The Spanish court has decided to release the head of the Mossos d'Esquadra, the Catalan police, Josep Lluis Trapero, with some precautionary measures, including the withdrawal of the passport and the obligation to sign every 15 days. The request for arrest made by the prosecutor was therefore rejected.
The tug of war between Catalonia and the Spanish central government continues. Spanish premier Mariano Rajoy "deeply regrets" that Catalan president Carles Puigdemont has "decided not to respond" to the request contained in the ultimatum sent last Wednesday, before activating article 155 of the constitution. Rajoy himself affirms this in a letter to the Catalan leader in which he confirms the second deadline of the ultimatum, Thursday at 10, before the activation of the "constitutional measures".
Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Soraya de Santamaria confirmed that the second and last deadline of the ultimatum to Catalan President Carles Puigdemont will expire on Thursday 19 October at 10, before the activation of Article 155 of the Constitution. "Puigdemont still has the solution in his hands to answer yes or no" to the request for clarification on the independence of Catalonia, said Soraya de Santamaria. "No one denies dialogue", but this must take place "within the law, with the utmost clarity, and in the Congress of Deputies", she added. The deputy prime minister also said that "dialogue is not demanded, it is practiced".
Puigdemont in fact today, when the ultimatum scheduled for 10 o'clock expired, did not explicitly answer whether or not he had declared the independence of Catalonia, instead stalling with a proposal for two months of dialogue through mediation. Puidgemont requested a face-to-face meeting with Rajoy, an urgent meeting. The Catalan president has also asked for an end to the "repression" against the Catalan citizenry, referring to the violence by the police during the October 1 referendum, and against the 'Government' through judicial channels.
The leader of Prime Minister Rajoy's Partido Popular in Catalonia Xavier Albiol reacted on Twitter to the Catalan president's response by stating that "this man is reckless". Puigdemont didn't answer 'yes' or 'no', as Rajoy demanded, when asked if he actually declared independence.
