Catalan ex-ministers face jail over secession bid

A judge in Madrid yesterday ordered ministers of Catalonia's deposed government to be held in jail pending further probes into their role in the regional government's quest for independence, prompting calls for protests in Barcelona and other cities.

Accused of sedition, rebellion and misuse of public funds, Catalonia's former vice president Oriol Junqueras and seven other deposed regional ministers were headed for detention after another day of drama in Spain's worst political crisis in decades.

A ninth former minister, who resigned just before the Catalan parliament declared independence on Friday, was also remanded in jail but will be set free if he pays bail of 50,000 euros ($58,000).

Grassroots independence association ANC called "peaceful but firm" protests for 7:00 pm (1800 GMT) in front of the Catalan parliament in Barcelona and city halls around Catalonia.

Independence supporters have urged more protests today night and a big rally on November 12 in Barcelona. Pro-independence umbrella group Crida Democracia called for a week of demonstrations.

Spanish prosecutors also sought a European arrest warrant for Catalonia's axed leader Carles Puigdemont, who is in Belgium and refused to show up to be questioned by the same judge.

In her ruling, judge Carmen Lamela said she had ordered preventive detention for the former ministers as she believed there was a risk they could escape, given Puigdemont had gone to Belgium.

Four other ministers also failed to turn up, and prosecutors asked that they too be arrested.

A total of 19 people including Puigdemont, Junqueras and the speaker of the Catalan regional parliament had been summoned to be questioned on Thursday.

A hearing of the speaker and five others at the Supreme Court was adjourned until November 9 after their lawyers requested more time to prepare their defence.