Spanish prosecutor seeks charges for deposed Catalan leaders

SPAIN’S state prosecutor is seeking charges of rebellion, sedition, and misuse of public funds against Catalan leaders involved in the region’s disputed independence bid that has thrown the country into political turmoil.

The prosecutor, Jose Manuel Maza, said he was seeking charges against a range of senior Catalan figures, including deposed President Carles Puigdemont and all members of his former cabinet after the Catalan parliament voted to issue a unilateral declaration of independence last week.

The crime of rebellion carries a maximum jail sentence of 30 years, while sedition has a maximum of 15 years.

Maza said the leaders had “created an institutional crisis that culminated with the declaration of unilateral independence, with total disregard for our Constitution.” He said his office had filed documents with the High Court and Supreme Court, which will consider the charges.

A document laying out the charges says that several of the leaders had misused public funds by holding an independence referendum on October 1, which it described as illegal. Catalan leaders have argued that there is no legal way to give their people a choice on secession.

The announcement came as civil servants in Catalonia returned to work under the Spanish government’s control, following the week of political upheaval.

Madrid suspended the region’s autonomy and imposed direct rule after the Catalan parliament unilaterally declared independence on Friday in Barcelona.

Invoking a never-before-used provision of the Spanish constitution, the Spanish government sacked the Catalan leader, Carles Puigdemont, who spearheaded the region’s independence bid. It also dissolved parliament and called new elections for December 21.

Civil servants, some of whom supported the independence bid, faced a choice of obeying Madrid or not showing up in an act of defiance.