Jailed Catalan leaders could be freed as probe changes hands

Until now, Judge Pablo Llarena of the Supreme Court had only been in charge of the investigation for alleged rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds involving members of Catalonia's parliament.

But the court announced Friday he has also taken on the probe of deposed Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and his 13 former ministers, which had initially been managed by Spain's lower-level National Court.

The separatist leaders, who were axed by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on October 27 after the Catalan parliament declared unilateral independence, are also charged with rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds.

Llarena will also take responsibility for the probe into the heads of two Catalan pro-independence associations, accused of sedition.

Judge Carmen Lamela of the National Court sent all of them to jail pending further investigation, and issued an arrest warrant for Puigdemont and four former ministers who are currently in Belgium and didn't turn up for questioning.

The move prompted accusations that Madrid was taking "political prisoners" over Catalonia's independence drive.

Llarena, on the other hand, decided the former parliament members could remain free as the investigation goes on.

This implies that he could also order the release of the separatist leaders who were jailed, just weeks before regional elections in Catalonia on December 21. Llarena, who knows Catalonia well after having lived there several years, said the cases involving members of the regional parliament, government and independence associations were connected, the court statement said.

He said all probes should come together, especially given that the charge of "rebellion" implies the "coordinated" action of all defendants.

The charges brought against Puigdemont and his former ministers are severe, and could see them jailed for up to 30 years.

Meanwhile, the party of ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont now favours talks with Madrid to achieve independence in stead of pushing to break away from Spain unilaterally, its coordinator said Thursday, the latest sign it was softening its position.

Spanish media have reported that Puigdemont's PdeCat party and its former government ally, the far-left ERC party, were planning to abandon a call for Catalonia to break away from Spain "unilaterally" in their programmes for a December 21 regional election.

"The draft follows this line. It is not finished. It see like a good route to work on," PdeCat partycoordinator Marta Pascal said in an interview with Cadena Ser news radio when asked about the reports.

Catalonia "lacks two things" to declare independence, Pascal added: "That this be effective and above all to count on the support of more people."