CHAIRWOMAN of Catalunya's Parliament Carme Forcadell has been granted bail with a release fee of €150,000, despite the Spanish prosecution calling for her to be remanded in custody.
Sra Forcadell (pictured), one of the main drivers of Catalunya's independence referendum, will still have to spend the night in the Alcalá Meco prison and will have a week to pay up.
Three other members of the Parliamentary table – Lluís Corominas, Lluís Guinó and Anna Isabel Simó – were also expecting to be remanded in custody at the prosecution's recommendation, but along with Ramona Barrufet, they have been given a week to pay a €25,000 bail release.
A fifth member of the Parliamentary board, Joan Josep Nuet, has been released without charge, since he voted against Catalunya's declaring independence.
Now-ex president of Catalunya, Carles Puigdemont – who remains in Belgium after fleeing there and being arrested and then released with charges – wrote on Twitter that Carme Forcadell 'is spending the night in a prison cell for permitting a democratic debate'.
“That's Spanish democracy for you,” Puigdemont tweeted.
Barcelona's mayoress Ada Colau, who does not support Catalunya's independence but is in favour of 'peace talks' and a legal referendum, says she is concerned that the State government's 'authoritarian behaviour' is 'a threat to Spanish society in general' since it could imply that 'barbaric actions and withdrawal of rights and freedoms is the norm'.
