5 Catalonia Lawmakers Allowed Bail by Judge in Spain
9, 2017
MADRID — A judge who sits on Spain’s Supreme Court on Thursday granted bail to a handful of Catalan lawmakers awaiting
trial on rebellion charges in contrast with the jailing last week of former members of the Catalan government.
In a Twitter message posted late Thursday, Mr. Puigdemont also lamented the fact
that Ms. Forcadell was spending the night in jail "for allowing the democratic debate." In his ruling, the judge also ordered Ms. Forcadell to remain in Spain, after posting bail.
In his ruling, Judge Llarena said that the lawmakers were allowed to post bail because they had either agreed to leave politics or pledged to resume their political activities "within the constitutional framework." After the judge’s ruling, Ms. Forcadell was taken to a Madrid jail around midnight on Thursday,
but her lawyer told reporters that she was likely to post bail on Friday.
The legal proceedings against the main separatist politicians have been split between two courts because Ms. Forcadell and some of the other Catalan lawmakers continue to benefit from parliamentary immunity, which means
that they must be brought before the Supreme Court rather than the National Court.
Judge Pablo Llarena set bail of €150,000, or about $175,000, for Carme Forcadell, who, as speaker of the Catalan Parliament, had
read out Catalonia’s declaration of independence from Spain on Oct. 27, shortly before it was approved by separatist lawmakers.
As court proceedings continue in Madrid, the former leader of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, remains in Brussels with four members of his
cabinet, awaiting a decision from a Belgian judge who is reviewing an international arrest warrant issued by the Spanish authorities.