An unprecedented decision. The judge of the Audiencia Nacional, Carmel Lemel, accepted the request presented this morning by the Spanish prosecutor, ordering the arrest of eight ministers of the former Catalan government dismissed from Madrid. To end up under the ax of justice are the former vice president Oriol Junqueras and former ministers Jordi Turull (Presidency), Josep Rull (Territory), Meritxell Borras (Government), Raul Romeva (Foreign Affairs), Carles Mundò (Justice), Dolors Bassa (Work) and Joaquim Forn (Interior).
The accusations against the former Catalan government are very heavy: rebellion, sedition and embezzlement.
The only one to have escaped the ax of justice is former minister Santi Villa, who resigned the day before the declaration of independence, reports Tv3. Villa would also be the only one to have answered the investigators' questions and for this reason he would have been granted release on conditional release. The others, on the other hand, refused to answer.
In the meantime, Carles Puigdemont's situation is becoming increasingly complicated. In addition to the political defeat, the matter now passes to the judicial level with very serious consequences. The Spanish prosecutor's office has in fact requested the judge of the Audiencia Nacional Carmen Lamela to issue a European arrest warrant against the now ex-President Carles Puigdemont and the 4 ministers who are currently with him in Belgium. If the proposal is accepted, the police forces in Brussels will have to carry out the arrest and decide whether to keep the defendants in prison until a court decides on their delivery to Spain.
