The Spanish prosecutor’s office has asked Judge Carmen Lamela with the high court Audiencia Nacional to order preventative detention in jail without bail for all members of the Catalan government accused of “rebellion”, excluding former minister Santi Valla, who resigned the day before the Catalan declaration of independence, according to Spanish broadcaster TV3.
On Thursday, judges interrogated Catalan Vice President Oriol Junqueras and the other eight members of the government deposed by Madrid.
All of them refused to respond to questioning with the exception of former minister Villa, who spoke for about 40 minutes.
Catalan parliamentary speaker Carme Forcadell and six members of the speaker’s committee are also accused of “rebellion” and will be subject to questioning by the Spanish Supreme Court.
Catalan President Carles Puigdemont, meanwhile, is in Brussels with ministers Meritxell Serret, Toni Comin, Clara Ponsati and Lluis Puig.
Spanish Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis said despite the fact that Puigdemont is in Brussels, “there’s no tension” between the Madrid government and that of Brussels.
Spanish and Belgian press reported that relations between Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel have been tense in recent weeks following statements that Michel made on the Catalan crisis.
Dastis said he believes Puigdemont will not seek political asylum in Belgium.