Former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont, who is still sought by Spanish justice, has been called to testify by Spain’s Supreme Court as part of a terrorism investigation over protests linked to the failed October 2017 Catalan independence bid. Former Catalan MP Ruben Wagensberg has also been cited by the court.
Judge Susana Polo has cited Puigdemont and Wagensberg for their voluntary testimony between 17-21 June on the Tsunami Democràtic judicial case. The testimonies will be via video, and those under investigation will need to be accompanied by a lawyer. ALSO READ: Spanish Supreme Court officially opens ‘terrorism’ investigation of Carles Puigdemont.
Tsunami Democràtic is a covert Catalan protest group that was behind a string of protests after Spain jailed 13 pro-independence leaders, two years after their failed bid to break away from Spain. The independence bid had sparked the country’s worst political crisis in decades.
On the day the sentence was handed down in October 2019, thousands of activists blocked access to Barcelona airport for several hours, prompting the cancellation of over 100 flights. During clashes between police and protesters, 115 people were injured.
In February, the Supreme Court opened criminal proceedings against Puigdemont and Wagensberg for their alleged involvement with the protest group. The court unanimously agreed to open criminal proceedings, acting on a request from Judge Manuel García Castellón of Spain’s National Court, who had asked the higher court to take on the case he was overseeing.
Public Prosecutors at the Supreme Court had previously concluded that there was no cause to investigate Puigdemont for terrorism and requested that the case be shelved, but the Supreme Court judges disagreed and appointed Judge Susana Polo to lead the investigation.
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ALSO READ: Judges extend probes into Puigdemont’s alleged ‘Kremlin ties’ and ‘Tsunami terrorism’.
ALSO READ: Puigdemont says he will return to Spain if he can be elected as Catalan president.
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