Spanish Prosecutor Calls for 25 Years for Jailed Ex-Catalan Leaders

The report came just ahead of the first anniversary of the imprisonment of Catalan activists who tried to make the Spanish region independent, following the referendum in October 2017, in which a majority of those who voted supported the idea of the region leaving the kingdom, El Pais reported Friday.

Commenting on the situation in the region, former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont promised earlier this week to unveil the “Council of the Republic”, a government he plans to lead from exile in Belgium.

On October 1, 2017, Catalonia held an independence vote, which resulted in over 90 percent of those who voted to back the region's autonomy. Madrid objected to the referendum and refused to recognize its results. In response, the Spanish government imposed direct rule over the region and dissolved the regional parliament, after the Catalan officials proclaimed the region's independence.

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