A dozen <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/court-asks-for-jail-transfer-of-catalans-before-trial-189443">Catalan separatists will go on trial</a> on February 12 over their bid to make the region independent from Spain, the Supreme Court said Friday, naming former prime minister Mariano Rajoy among those called to testify.

Nine of the accused are charged with rebellion for their role in the dramatic breakaway attempt in October 2017. They face up to 25 years in jail.

Rajoy, who ruled Spain until last June, will be one of "hundreds" of witnesses to testify at the trial, a Supreme Court document said.

He sacked Catalonia's regional government and called snap local elections after the Catalan parliament declared independence in October 2017 following a banned independence referendum.&nbsp;

Rajoy was unseated by a no-confidence vote backed by Catalan separatist parties last year.

The trial will last "around three months", with a verdict expected within three months, the president of Spain's Supreme Court, Carlos Lesmes, told reporters in Madrid.

"This is the most important trial which we have known in democracy," he added.

The trial will be broadcast in full on Spanish TV and it is expected to have national political implications.

Tensions are likely to flare up between the central government and the separatists who rule Catalonia despite Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's attempts to defuse the independence issue.

That makes it unlikely Catalan separatist parties will give their crucial backing for his minority government's 2019 budget, said Eurasia Group analyst Federico Santi.

"Failure to pass the budget, in turn, is likely to prompt Sanchez to resign and bring the 2020 elections forward to later this year," he added.

'Fake justice!'

Rajoy's deputy prime minister Soraya Saez de Santamaria and Barcelona's current mayor Ada Colau are among those summoned to testify at the trial.

The court said it would also hear testimony from police officers and citizens who were injured during clashes during the October 1, 2017 independence referendum.

Riot police beat protesters and stormed polling stations on the day of the referendum in an attempt to stop it from going ahead.

In pre-trial detention for months, the nine jailed defendants were being transferred from the northeastern region of Catalonia to prisons near Madrid on Friday.

Supporters in Barcelona cheered them as they were taken away, waving the region's red, yellow and blue separatist flag and holding up umbrellas to guard against the rain. Some held up black and white signs in English that read "Fake justice!".

Three others will also stand trial, accused of disobedience and misuse of public funds.

Catalan President Quim Torra read a statement in English and Catalan in support of the defendants, saying "they have not committed any crimes".

'Farce'

Supporters of independence for Catalonia call the trial a "farce".

But many Spaniards support it, having looked on in disbelief as the rich region's then executive tried to secede.

Catalonia's president at the time of the secession bid, Carles Puigdemont, is also accused of rebellion.

But he fled Spain after the region's majority-separatist parliament made a short-lived declaration of independence on October 27, 2017, which triggered Spain's worst political crisis in decades.&nbsp;

He is not among the 12 going on trial this month in Spain, which does not try suspects in absentia.

The trial's main protagonist is former Catalan vice president Oriol Junqueras, who opted to remain in Spain. He faces up to 25 years in jail on charges of rebellion and misuse of public funds.

'Not a crime'

Puigdemont and fellow separatists have all denied any wrongdoing, saying the 2017 referendum gave them the authority to break away from Spain.

The Catalan government claimed some 2.3 million people took part in the referendum and that 90 per cent had backed independence. Those figures could not be independently confirmed.

Far from curbing the desire for independence, the prosecution of the separatist leaders has energised the movement for Catalan self-determination and helped to keep the movement united despite deep divisions over strategy.

Hundreds of Catalan separatists protested outside an EU office in Barcelona on Friday night against what they claim is the unfair treatment of the defendants.

They hung a banner from the office's balcony that read in English: "Self-determination is a right, not a crime".

Twenty-one protesters entered the office and plan to spend the night, a spokeswoman for influential grassroots separatist group ANC which organised the demonstration told AFP. 
&nbsp;

A dozen Catalan separatists will go on trial on February 12 over their bid to make the region independent from Spain, the Supreme Court said Friday, naming former prime minister Mariano Rajoy among those called to testify.

A dozen Catalan separatists will go on trial on February 12 over their bid to make the region independent from Spain, the Supreme Court said Friday, naming former prime minister Mariano Rajoy among those called to testify. Nine of the accused are charged with rebellion for their role in the dramatic breakaway attempt in October 2017. They face up to 25 years in jail. Rajoy, who ruled Spain until last June, will be one of "hundreds" of witnesses to testify at the trial, a Supreme Court document said. He sacked Catalonia's regional government and called snap local elections after the Catalan parliament declared independence in October 2017 following a banned independence referendum. Rajoy was unseated by a no-confidence vote backed by Catalan separatist parties last year. The trial will last "around three months", with a verdict expected within three months, the president of Spain's Supreme Court, Carlos Lesmes, told reporters in Madrid. "This is the most important trial which we have known in democracy," he added. The trial will be broadcast in full on Spanish TV and it is expected to have national political implications. Tensions are likely to flare up between the central government and the separatists who rule Catalonia despite Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's attempts to defuse the independence issue. That makes it unlikely Catalan separatist parties will give their crucial backing for his minority government's 2019 budget, said Eurasia Group analyst Federico Santi. "Failure to pass the budget, in turn, is likely to prompt Sanchez to resign and bring the 2020 elections forward to later this year," he added. 'Fake justice!' Rajoy's deputy prime minister Soraya Saez de Santamaria and Barcelona's current mayor Ada Colau are among those summoned to testify at the trial. The court said it would also hear testimony from police officers and citizens who were injured during clashes during the October 1, 2017 independence referendum. Riot police beat protesters and stormed polling stations on the day of the referendum in an attempt to stop it from going ahead. In pre-trial detention for months, the nine jailed defendants were being transferred from the northeastern region of Catalonia to prisons near Madrid on Friday. Supporters in Barcelona cheered them as they were taken away, waving the region's red, yellow and blue separatist flag and holding up umbrellas to guard against the rain. Some held up black and white signs in English that read "Fake justice!". Three others will also stand trial, accused of disobedience and misuse of public funds. Catalan President Quim Torra read a statement in English and Catalan in support of the defendants, saying "they have not committed any crimes". 'Farce' Supporters of independence for Catalonia call the trial a "farce". But many Spaniards support it, having looked on in disbelief as the rich region's then executive tried to secede. Catalonia's president at the time of the secession bid, Carles Puigdemont, is also accused of rebellion. But he fled Spain after the region's majority-separatist parliament made a short-lived declaration of independence on October 27, 2017, which triggered Spain's worst political crisis in decades. He is not among the 12 going on trial this month in Spain, which does not try suspects in absentia. The trial's main protagonist is former Catalan vice president Oriol Junqueras, who opted to remain in Spain. He faces up to 25 years in jail on charges of rebellion and misuse of public funds. 'Not a crime' Puigdemont and fellow separatists have all denied any wrongdoing, saying the 2017 referendum gave them the authority to break away from Spain. The Catalan government claimed some 2.3 million people took part in the referendum and that 90 per cent had backed independence. Those figures could not be independently confirmed. Far from curbing the desire for independence, the prosecution of the separatist leaders has energised the movement for Catalan self-determination and helped to keep the movement united despite deep divisions over strategy. Hundreds of Catalan separatists protested outside an EU office in Barcelona on Friday night against what they claim is the unfair treatment of the defendants. They hung a banner from the office's balcony that read in English: "Self-determination is a right, not a crime". Twenty-one protesters entered the office and plan to spend the night, a spokeswoman for influential grassroots separatist group ANC which organised the demonstration told AFP.

Catalan separatists' trial set for February 12: Court

International ride-hailing service Uber said it was suspending its taxi service in the northern Spanish city of Barcelona after local authorities passed a regulation which would limit how they operate in the city.

Uber has operated in Barcelona via its UberX service which uses professional, licensed drivers, since March of last year.

"The new restrictions approved by the Catalan Government leave us with no choice but to suspend UberX while we assess our future in Barcelona. We are committed to being a long term partner to Spanish cities and hope to work with the Catalan Government and the City Council on fair regulation for all," an Uber spokesman said.

The local Catalan government has decreed that ride-hailing services can only pick up passengers after a delay of at least 15 minutes from the time of being booked.

The new regulation came after pressure from taxi drivers, which have held many strikes in Barcelona and remain on strike in the Spanish capital Madrid.

International ride-hailing service Uber said it was suspending its taxi service in the northern Spanish city of Barcelona after local authorities passed a regulation which would limit how they operate in the city.

International ride-hailing service Uber said it was suspending its taxi service in the northern Spanish city of Barcelona after local authorities passed a regulation which would limit how they operate in the city. Uber has operated in Barcelona via its UberX service which uses professional, licensed drivers, since March of last year. "The new restrictions approved by the Catalan Government leave us with no choice but to suspend UberX while we assess our future in Barcelona. We are committed to being a long term partner to Spanish cities and hope to work with the Catalan Government and the City Council on fair regulation for all," an Uber spokesman said. The local Catalan government has decreed that ride-hailing services can only pick up passengers after a delay of at least 15 minutes from the time of being booked. The new regulation came after pressure from taxi drivers, which have held many strikes in Barcelona and remain on strike in the Spanish capital Madrid.

Uber suspends taxi service in Barcelona after new regulation

Pro-independence protesters obstructed major roads and a high-speed railway line in Spain's Catalonia region on Monday, one year after a banned referendum on secession that was marred by police violence.

Hundreds of activists, many covering their faces with scarves, occupied high-speed railway tracks in Girona, north of the Catalan capital of Barcelona.

Central streets in Barcelona and Lleida were blocked, as was the AP-7 motorway which leads to the French border, and A2 linking Barcelona to Madrid, images on Catalan TV showed.&nbsp;

The high-speed rail service linking Figueres, Girona and Barcelona "was interrupted" since the "tracks in Girona are occupied," Spanish state-owned rail operator Renfe said on Twitter.

The protests were called online by a grassroots group calling itself the Committees for the Defence of the Republic (CDRs), founded to help stage last year's banned referendum and now demanding a clean break with the Spanish state.

The group tweeted a picture of a red, yellow and blue Catalan separatist flag on the track of the station in Girona as protesters stood around it.

Twenty-four people were injured and six detained on Saturday during a rally -- and a counter demonstration -- in Barcelona by police paying tribute to colleagues deployed to prevent the 2017 Catalan independence referendum.

The Catalan government, then led by Carles Puigdemont, on October 1, 2017, pushed ahead with a referendum on independence for the region despite it having been deemed illegal by the Spanish courts. The vote was marred by a violent police crackdown on polling stations.

Even if it was illegal and therefore non-binding, 2.3 million people cast their ballots out of 5.5 million eligible voters, 90 percent of whom voted to break from Spain. Opponents of independence largely boycotted the vote.

After the Catalan government declared independence on October 27, Madrid swiftly sacked the Catalan government, prompting several key figures to flee abroad, including Puigdemont. Others were jailed.

Pro-independence protesters obstructed major roads and a high-speed railway line in Spain's Catalonia region on Monday, one year after a banned referendum on secession that was marred by police violence.

Pro-independence protesters obstructed major roads and a high-speed railway line in Spain's Catalonia region on Monday, one year after a banned referendum on secession that was marred by police violence. Hundreds of activists, many covering their faces with scarves, occupied high-speed railway tracks in Girona, north of the Catalan capital of Barcelona. Central streets in Barcelona and Lleida were blocked, as was the AP-7 motorway which leads to the French border, and A2 linking Barcelona to Madrid, images on Catalan TV showed. The high-speed rail service linking Figueres, Girona and Barcelona "was interrupted" since the "tracks in Girona are occupied," Spanish state-owned rail operator Renfe said on Twitter. The protests were called online by a grassroots group calling itself the Committees for the Defence of the Republic (CDRs), founded to help stage last year's banned referendum and now demanding a clean break with the Spanish state. The group tweeted a picture of a red, yellow and blue Catalan separatist flag on the track of the station in Girona as protesters stood around it. Twenty-four people were injured and six detained on Saturday during a rally -- and a counter demonstration -- in Barcelona by police paying tribute to colleagues deployed to prevent the 2017 Catalan independence referendum. The Catalan government, then led by Carles Puigdemont, on October 1, 2017, pushed ahead with a referendum on independence for the region despite it having been deemed illegal by the Spanish courts. The vote was marred by a violent police crackdown on polling stations. Even if it was illegal and therefore non-binding, 2.3 million people cast their ballots out of 5.5 million eligible voters, 90 percent of whom voted to break from Spain. Opponents of independence largely boycotted the vote. After the Catalan government declared independence on October 27, Madrid swiftly sacked the Catalan government, prompting several key figures to flee abroad, including Puigdemont. Others were jailed.

Pro-independence protesters in Catalonia block roads, railway line: Reports

Spain&#39;s central government said on Thursday it would suspend <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/catalonia-refuses-to-renounce-independence-separatist-protesters-rally-22577" target="_blank">Catalonia</a>&#39;s autonomy and impose direct rule after the region&#39;s leader threatened to go ahead with a formal declaration of independence if Madrid refused to hold talks.

In an act unprecedented since Spain returned to democracy in the late 1970s, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said he would hold a special cabinet meeting on Saturday that could trigger the move. The Socialist opposition said it backed the government but suggested the measures should be limited in scope and time.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/allies-press-catalan-leader-to-declare-full-independence-ignore-madrid-deadlines-22422" target="_blank">Catalan president Carles Puigdemont</a>, ignoring a 10 am deadline to drop his secession campaign, wrote a letter to Rajoy threatening a formal declaration of independence.

The war of words increased uncertainty over a standoff that has raised fears of social unrest, cut growth prospects for the euro zone&#39;s fourth-largest economy and rattled the euro.

&quot;If the government continues to impede dialogue and continues with the repression, the Catalan parliament could proceed, if it is considered opportune, to vote on a formal declaration of independence,&quot; Puigdemont said.

Catalonia, which has a distinctive culture and language, triggered Spain&#39;s biggest political crisis for decades with a secession bid it put to a referendum on October 1. Only 43 per cent of voters participated but those who did voted overwhelmingly to secede, while opponents of secession mostly stayed home.

Spanish courts have ruled the referendum illegal, but <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/catalan-independence-all-eyes-on-carles-puidgemont-as-deadline-looms-6047" target="_blank">Puigdemont</a> says the result is binding and must be obeyed.

The European Union declined to help mediate, saying the crisis was for Madrid and Barcelona to resolve.

&quot;Member states are clear there is no room or space for any kind of mediation,&quot; European Council President Donald Tusk told a news conference during an EU leaders summit in Brussels.

The regional authorities have not made clear how and when a declaration of independence would take place and whether it would be endorsed by the regional assembly. Some pro-independence lawmakers have said they want to hold a vote in the Catalan parliament to lend it a more solemn character.

Rajoy plans to invoke Article 155 of the 1978 constitution, which allows taking control of a region if it breaks the law.

A senior government source said the exact measures would be agreed on Saturday and probably voted through the upper house Senate on October 30, giving the secessionists a few days of leeway to respond before Madrid takes control.

The regional authorities could use that time to split unilaterally, call elections in the hope of strengthening their mandate, or back down, although this is seen as highly unlikely.

&quot;From the moment the measures are known, the regional government knows what&#39;s going to happen and has a period of time to act until 155 can be acted upon,&quot; the source said.

Spanish stocks, bonds and the euro all suffered in early trade, but recovered, a bounce some strategists attributed to a sense that Madrid had the upper hand in the standoff.

Law Unclear

The terms of Article 155 are vague and could spur more wrangling with the restive region.

&quot;The government will use all the tools available to restore as soon as possible the law and the constitutional order, recover peaceful cohabitation between citizens and stop the economic damage that the legal uncertainty is creating,&quot; government spokesman Inigo Mendez de Vigo said in a statement.

Rajoy&#39;s team met members of the socialist party to coordinate their next steps. A spokesman for the Socialists said while they fully stood behind the government they would insist Article 155 is applied in the most proportionate way.

Madrid&#39;s options range from closing down the regional parliament and expelling lawmakers, to a softer and more targeted approach, the government source said. Theoretically, the central administration could take control of the region&#39;s finances and police, and call a snap election.

But some members of the Catalan government have already questioned this interpretation of the constitution, suggesting the stand-off could extend for at least several more days.

Carles Riera, a lawmaker from the pro-independence CUP party whose 10 deputies are vital to Puigdemont&#39;s coalition, said dialogue with the Spanish state now looked impossible, and called on the leader to formalise a declaration of independence.

&quot;From our point of view, the sooner this happens the better,&quot; Riera told Reuters in the Catalan capital Barcelona.

Impatience is also setting in among residents of the port city. Merche, 55, who voted for secession in the referendum, said she was tired of the political to-and-fro.

&quot;People want a resolution. Go for one thing or the other, but leave people in peace to carry on with their routine and their work,&quot; she said, rearranging lettuces on her market stall.

Puigdemont has already defied Rajoy once this week when he ignored the first deadline to drop the independence campaign and instead called for talks.

Rajoy says the Catalan government has repeatedly broken the law, including when it held the banned referendum and when it made a symbolic declaration of independence on Oct. 10, only to suspend it seconds later.

Puigdemont says a violent police crackdown during the referendum and arrests of pro-independence leaders on charges of sedition show the Spanish state has become authoritarian.

Spain's central government said it would impose direct rule after the region's leader threatened to go ahead with a formal declaration of independence if Madrid refused to hold talks

Spain's central government said on Thursday it would suspend Catalonia's autonomy and impose direct rule after the region's leader threatened to go ahead with a formal declaration of independence if Madrid refused to hold talks. In an act unprecedented since Spain returned to democracy in the late 1970s, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said he would hold a special cabinet meeting on Saturday that could trigger the move. The Socialist opposition said it backed the government but suggested the measures should be limited in scope and time. Catalan president Carles Puigdemont, ignoring a 10 am deadline to drop his secession campaign, wrote a letter to Rajoy threatening a formal declaration of independence. The war of words increased uncertainty over a standoff that has raised fears of social unrest, cut growth prospects for the euro zone's fourth-largest economy and rattled the euro. "If the government continues to impede dialogue and continues with the repression, the Catalan parliament could proceed, if it is considered opportune, to vote on a formal declaration of independence," Puigdemont said. Catalonia, which has a distinctive culture and language, triggered Spain's biggest political crisis for decades with a secession bid it put to a referendum on October 1. Only 43 per cent of voters participated but those who did voted overwhelmingly to secede, while opponents of secession mostly stayed home. Spanish courts have ruled the referendum illegal, but Puigdemont says the result is binding and must be obeyed. The European Union declined to help mediate, saying the crisis was for Madrid and Barcelona to resolve. "Member states are clear there is no room or space for any kind of mediation," European Council President Donald Tusk told a news conference during an EU leaders summit in Brussels. The regional authorities have not made clear how and when a declaration of independence would take place and whether it would be endorsed by the regional assembly. Some pro-independence lawmakers have said they want to hold a vote in the Catalan parliament to lend it a more solemn character. Rajoy plans to invoke Article 155 of the 1978 constitution, which allows taking control of a region if it breaks the law. A senior government source said the exact measures would be agreed on Saturday and probably voted through the upper house Senate on October 30, giving the secessionists a few days of leeway to respond before Madrid takes control. The regional authorities could use that time to split unilaterally, call elections in the hope of strengthening their mandate, or back down, although this is seen as highly unlikely. "From the moment the measures are known, the regional government knows what's going to happen and has a period of time to act until 155 can be acted upon," the source said. Spanish stocks, bonds and the euro all suffered in early trade, but recovered, a bounce some strategists attributed to a sense that Madrid had the upper hand in the standoff. Law Unclear The terms of Article 155 are vague and could spur more wrangling with the restive region. "The government will use all the tools available to restore as soon as possible the law and the constitutional order, recover peaceful cohabitation between citizens and stop the economic damage that the legal uncertainty is creating," government spokesman Inigo Mendez de Vigo said in a statement. Rajoy's team met members of the socialist party to coordinate their next steps. A spokesman for the Socialists said while they fully stood behind the government they would insist Article 155 is applied in the most proportionate way. Madrid's options range from closing down the regional parliament and expelling lawmakers, to a softer and more targeted approach, the government source said. Theoretically, the central administration could take control of the region's finances and police, and call a snap election. But some members of the Catalan government have already questioned this interpretation of the constitution, suggesting the stand-off could extend for at least several more days. Carles Riera, a lawmaker from the pro-independence CUP party whose 10 deputies are vital to Puigdemont's coalition, said dialogue with the Spanish state now looked impossible, and called on the leader to formalise a declaration of independence. "From our point of view, the sooner this happens the better," Riera told Reuters in the Catalan capital Barcelona. Impatience is also setting in among residents of the port city. Merche, 55, who voted for secession in the referendum, said she was tired of the political to-and-fro. "People want a resolution. Go for one thing or the other, but leave people in peace to carry on with their routine and their work," she said, rearranging lettuces on her market stall. Puigdemont has already defied Rajoy once this week when he ignored the first deadline to drop the independence campaign and instead called for talks. Rajoy says the Catalan government has repeatedly broken the law, including when it held the banned referendum and when it made a symbolic declaration of independence on Oct. 10, only to suspend it seconds later. Puigdemont says a violent police crackdown during the referendum and arrests of pro-independence leaders on charges of sedition show the Spanish state has become authoritarian.

Spain to suspend Catalonia's autonomy in response to independence threat