Spanish court detains eight former Catalan leaders

A Spanish judge on Thursday detained eight members of the deposed Catalan government without bail pending possible charges after Catalonia unilaterally declared independence. The judge released a ninth member of the government, who resigned before the independence declaration, after he paid $58,300 in bail. The Spanish prosecutor’s office summoned the leaders to court Thursday on charges of rebellion, sedition, and embezzlement. Shortly after Catalonia declared independence, the Spanish government seized control of the autonomous region and removed regional President Carles Puigdemont and his 13-member Cabinet from office. Prosecutors also asked the court to issue an international arrest warrant for Puigdemont. The ousted leader and four other former Cabinet members left for Belgium this week, ignoring the summons to appear in court Thursday. Thousands of protesters gathered in the streets of Catalonia to oppose the court’s decision.