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4 months, 2 weeks ago

Ex-Catalan separatist leader Puigdemont leaves Spain after avoiding arrest

Two police officers arrested as Spanish judges seek an explanation over the failure to apprehend the fugitive. Catalonia’s former separatist leader Carles Puigdemont has left for Belgium a day after briefly appearing at a rally in Barcelona and evading a massive manhunt and an arrest warrant in Spain. Reporting from Barcelona, Al Jazeera’s Bernard Smith said there had been “a …

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4 months, 2 weeks ago

Socialist Salvador Illa elected leader of Spain’s Catalonia

Al Jazeera

Illa’s confirmation by Catalan parliament ends a decade of separatist regional rule in the northeastern Spanish region. Catalonia’s parliament has confirmed Salvador Illa, an ally of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez whose Socialists came first in May’s regional election, as head of the Catalan government, ending more than a decade of separatist rule. However, in a sign of potential further …

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4 months, 2 weeks ago

Fugitive ex-Catalan leader plans return to Spain despite threat of arrest over failed secession bid

Associated Press

BARCELONA, Spain — Carles Puigdemont, the former leader of Catalonia who fled Spain after organizing an illegal independence referendum in the wealthy Spanish region seven years ago, announced that he plans to return home on Thursday despite the likelihood of being arrested on his return. Puigdemont, 61, who fled to Belgium after the breakaway bid in October 2017 quickly collapsed, …

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6 months, 3 weeks ago

What’s next for Catalonia after secessionists’ historic loss?

Al Jazeera

The secessionists are down, but not out, say analysts. Germa Capdevila, Catalan political analyst and editor of the Catalan-language magazine Esguard, said that the secessionist electoral setback can be explained by rising disappointment with Catalonia’s current crop of pro-independence politicians. What happened in the regional elections is that we’ve finally left that no-man’s land behind and, possibly, entered a new …

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7 months, 1 week ago

Spain’s Socialists deal blow to Catalan separatists in regional elections

LA Times

Socialist candidate Salvador Illa makes a toast with members of his team and party colleagues after the announcement of elections results to the Catalan parliament in Barcelona on Sunday. “The biggest takeaway from the election was that it’s the worst result for the forces of Catalan independence since 1982,” said Andrew Dowling, a specialist in Catalan history at Cardiff University …

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8 months, 2 weeks ago

Spain court calls on fugitive Catalan secessionist Carles Puigdemont to testify in terrorism probe

Associated Press

MADRID — Spain’s Supreme Court on Monday called on fugitive former Catalonia President and separatist chief Carles Puigdemont to testify as a defendant in a terrorism investigation over protests linked to the region’s failed 2017 independence referendum. A court statement said Puigdemont, a European Parliament lawmaker, and Catalan regional lawmaker Rubén Wagensberg have been summoned to testify voluntarily by video …

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9 months ago

Fugitive Catalan chief Puigdemont pledges he will return to Spain if he can be restored to power

Associated Press

BARCELONA, Spain — Carles Puigdemont, the former leader of the Spanish region of Catalonia who fled the country after a failed secession attempt six years ago, said Thursday that he will return to Spain if he has a viable chance to be restored as regional president following upcoming elections. “The countdown until my return begins today.” It appears that Puigdemont …

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9 months, 1 week ago

Spanish parliament approves controversial amnesty for Catalan separatists

LA Times

Front row, from left, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Deputy Prime Ministers Maria Jesus Montero and Yolanda Diaz in parliament in Madrid on Thursday. Spain’s Parliament approved on Thursday a controversial amnesty bill aimed at forgiving crimes — both proved and alleged — committed by Catalan separatists during a chaotic attempt to hold an independence referendum in the region …

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9 months, 1 week ago

Divisive Catalan amnesty bill clears parliamentary hurdle in Spain

Al Jazeera

The bill seeks to draw a line under years of efforts to prosecute those involved in the 2017 botched secession bid. Spain’s lower house of parliament has approved an amnesty bill aimed at forgiving crimes – proven and alleged – by Catalan separatists during a chaotic attempt to hold an independence referendum in the region six years ago. However, the …

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1 year, 1 month ago

Large protests against Catalan amnesty deal in Madrid after PM sworn in

Al Jazeera

About 170,000 took to the streets, a day after Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was sworn in for a second term. Tens of thousands of protesters have marched through Madrid in opposition to a controversial Catalan amnesty law that enabled Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to form a government for a second term. Sanchez’s Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party secured the backing …

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1 year, 1 month ago

Pedro Sánchez reelected Spain’s prime minister despite controversy over amnesty for separatists

Associated Press

MADRID — Spain’s Pedro Sánchez was reelected as prime minister by the nation’s parliament on Thursday, when he leveraged a controversial amnesty deal to get the critical support from Catalan separatists to stay in power. Sánchez, Spain’s Socialist leader since 2018, was backed by 179 lawmakers in the 350-seat lower house of parliament to form a new minority leftist coalition …

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1 year, 1 month ago

Spain election drama: Sanchez wins backing for new term after Catalan deal

Al Jazeera

The socialist Spanish politician has won parliamentary support to be PM again, after striking a controversial agreement with Catalan separatists. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has won parliament’s backing for a new term in office after striking a controversial deal with Catalan separatists. In exchange for supporting Sanchez’s Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party, nationalists from the Spanish region of Catalonia secured …

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1 year, 1 month ago

Why Spain’s acting leader is offering a politically explosive amnesty for Catalan separatists

Associated Press

MADRID — Spain’s acting Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez ’s chances of forming a new coalition minority government following an inconclusive election in July were greatly boosted this week after reaching an agreement with a tiny party he surely hoped he would never have to rely on. The deal is with Together for Catalunya, also known as Junts — a group …

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1 year, 1 month ago

Spain's Socialists to grant amnesty to Catalan separatists in exchange for support of new government

The Independent

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Spain's Socialist Party has struck …

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1 year, 1 month ago

Spain’s Socialists will grant amnesty to Catalan separatists in return for support of new government

Associated Press

MADRID — Spain’s Socialist Party has struck a deal with a fringe Catalan separatist party to grant an amnesty for potentially thousands of people involved in the region’s failed secession bid in exchange for its backing of acting Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in forming a new government. An amnesty has been the crucial part of difficult negotiations by representatives …

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1 year, 1 month ago

Spain’s Sanchez set to stay PM after amnesty deal with Catalan separatists

Al Jazeera

Agreement has triggered protests and main opposition party condemns it as ‘shameful and humiliating’. Spain’s acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is on the brink of securing another term in office after reaching a controversial agreement with the Catalan separatist Junts party by offering amnesty to those who participated in a failed bid for regional independence six years back. The conservative …

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1 year, 1 month ago

Spain offers Catalan separatists amnesty in exchange for support of Socialist government

LA Times

Spain’s Socialist party has struck a deal with a fringe Catalan separatist party to grant an amnesty for potentially thousands of people involved in the region’s failed secession bid in exchange for its key backing of acting Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in forming a new government. An amnesty has been the crucial part of difficult negotiations by representatives of …

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1 year, 5 months ago

Spain’s snap vote: Catalans fear right-wing takeover

Al Jazeera

Final opinion polls project that the right-wing PP party will win a majority in a coalition with the far-right Vox. Madrid, Spain – Should polls prove correct and far-right Vox party form part of a future Spanish government after next Sunday’s snap general elections, it is not just pro-independence political parties that risk being banned: even Catalan language magazines in …

Spain Parties Party Right Spanish Madrid Simon

1 year, 8 months ago

Spanish Police under fire for 'sexed up' probe against far-left, green groups

Firstpost

Six women have filed a complaint against Spain police officer Daniel Hernandez, accusing him of sexual abuse. One of the women’s lawyers, Mireia Salazar, told AFP the goal of the complaint was “to know how far these practices go, which in our opinion, have no legal justification.” The scandal deepened after the Madrid branch of climate activist group Extinction Rebellion …

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1 year, 11 months ago

Spain drops sedition charge against former Catalan leader

Associated Press

MADRID — A Spanish judge has dropped sedition charges against former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont for his role in the region’s illegal secession push in 2017 that brought Spain’s most serious political crisis for decades. Supreme Court judge Pablo Llarena took the step, which also included four other Catalan separatists involved in the events of 2017, because changes to Spain’s …

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2 years ago

Spanish govt reforms sedition law in nod to Catalan allies

Associated Press

MADRID — Spain on Thursday sealed final approval for controversial reforms to the crimes of sedition and embezzlement, a move by the ruling center-left coalition to retain the support of a pro-independence Catalan party and ease tensions in the northeastern region. Sedition, on the books since 1822, and embezzlement were among the main charges against nine of 12 pro-independence Catalan …

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2 years, 1 month ago

Spain addresses Catalans’ concerns with planned reform of sedition law

LA Times

The two parties making up Spain’s leftist coalition government presented a proposal Friday to reform the centuries-old crime of sedition, which was one of the main charges against pro-independence Catalan activists and politicians convicted for their roles in a 2017 secession push. The crime of sedition, on the books since 1822, was one of the main charges against nine of …

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2 years, 6 months ago

Spain’s top court calls NSO Group CEO to testify in spying case

Al Jazeera

High Court judge to travel to Israel to question Shalev Hulio amid probe into the use of Pegasus in hacking scandal. Spain’s High Court has called the chief executive officer of Israel’s software firm NSO Group to testify as a witness in a case concerning the hacking of the mobile phones of top politicians with software that was developed by …

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2 years, 7 months ago

Spain vows to be transparent in probe of Pegasus spyware use

Associated Press

MADRID — Spanish authorities are pledging full transparency as they launch inquiries into allegations that the phones of dozens of supporters of Catalan independence were hacked with powerful and controversial spyware only sold to government agencies. An internal probe by the country’s intelligence agency, a special parliamentary commission to share its results, and a separate investigation by Spain’s ombudsman will …

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Articles for Catalan, search results for independence

Ex-Catalan separatist leader Puigdemont leaves Spain after avoiding arrest

Socialist Salvador Illa elected leader of Spain’s Catalonia

Fugitive ex-Catalan leader plans return to Spain despite threat of arrest over failed secession bid

What’s next for Catalonia after secessionists’ historic loss?

Spain’s Socialists deal blow to Catalan separatists in regional elections

Spain court calls on fugitive Catalan secessionist Carles Puigdemont to testify in terrorism probe

Fugitive Catalan chief Puigdemont pledges he will return to Spain if he can be restored to power

Spanish parliament approves controversial amnesty for Catalan separatists

Divisive Catalan amnesty bill clears parliamentary hurdle in Spain

Large protests against Catalan amnesty deal in Madrid after PM sworn in

Pedro Sánchez reelected Spain’s prime minister despite controversy over amnesty for separatists

Spain election drama: Sanchez wins backing for new term after Catalan deal

Why Spain’s acting leader is offering a politically explosive amnesty for Catalan separatists

Spain's Socialists to grant amnesty to Catalan separatists in exchange for support of new government

Spain’s Socialists will grant amnesty to Catalan separatists in return for support of new government

Spain’s Sanchez set to stay PM after amnesty deal with Catalan separatists

Spain offers Catalan separatists amnesty in exchange for support of Socialist government

Spain’s snap vote: Catalans fear right-wing takeover

Spanish Police under fire for 'sexed up' probe against far-left, green groups

Spain drops sedition charge against former Catalan leader

Spanish govt reforms sedition law in nod to Catalan allies

Spain addresses Catalans’ concerns with planned reform of sedition law

Spain’s top court calls NSO Group CEO to testify in spying case

Spain vows to be transparent in probe of Pegasus spyware use