Spain's top court set to announce verdict for Catalan separatist leaders on Monday - source

Record ID: 1436043

  • Title: Spain's top court set to announce verdict for Catalan separatist leaders on Monday - source
  • Date: 10th October 2019
  • Summary: BARCELONA, SPAIN (FILE - DECEMBER 4, 2017) (REUTERS) THOUSANDS OF PROTESTERS GATHERED AT SANT JAUME SQUARE TO DEMAND THE RELEASE OF JAILED CATALAN LEADERS PROTESTERS HOLDING BANNERS READING IN CATALAN "FREEDOM FOR THE POLITICAL PRISONERS"
  • Embargoed: 24th October 2019 09:50
  • Keywords: trial of jailed leaders Spain Junqueras independence Carme Forcadell Joaquim Forn trial Jordi Sanchez Turull Rull Catalonia jailed Catalan leaders Jordi Cuixart Raul Romeva Dolors Bassa
  • Location: BARCELONA, SANT JULIA DE RAMIS, SOTO DEL REAL, ESTREMERA AND MADRID, SPAIN
  • City: BARCELONA, SANT JULIA DE RAMIS, SOTO DEL REAL, ESTREMERA AND MADRID, SPAIN
  • Country: Spain
  • Topics: Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA00CB0IK8XZ
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Spain's Supreme Court is expected to announce on Monday (October 14) its verdict in the trial of Catalan separatist leaders, a judicial source said on Friday (October 11), in a decision that could reignite tensions over a secession push that plunged the country into its worst political crisis in decades.
    The 12 Catalan politicians and civic leaders are facing charges ranging from rebellion to sedition and the misuse of public funds over their role in a 2017 banned referendum and the short-lived declaration of independence that followed.
    Spanish authorities are bracing for potentially violent protests in the region.
    The Catalan separatist leaders on trial are Catalan deputy leader Oriol Junqueras, 8 other members of the regional government in office during the the banned October 1 referendum, former Catalan regional parliament speaker Carme Forcadell and the leaders of two civic groups, the Catalan National Assembly's (ANC) leader Jordi Sanchez and Omnium Cultural head Jordi Cuixart.
    Sanchez and Cuixart are accused of playing central roles in orchestrating pro-independence protests on September 20, 2017 that trapped national police inside a Barcelona building and destroyed their vehicles.
    Nine of the separatists leaders on trial are in jail awaiting their sentences, three are free on bail and four others, including former president Carles Puigdemont, are in self imposed exile.
    Catalan separatism has always prided itself on being a peaceful movement and its leaders say that has not changed.
    But there are concerns in Madrid that possibly heavy jail sentences for the separatist leaders could unleash pent-up frustration among a radicalized fringe, a senior parliamentary source told Reuters.
    (Production: Guillermo Martinez, Marco Trujillo, Jordi Rubio, Catherine Macdonald)
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