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WORLD NEWS Friday 10 November 2017

Judge jails, sets bail for top lawmaker in Catalonia probe

under Spanish law. lawyers familiar with her tes-
Spain Supreme Court mag- timony.The lawyers asked
istrate Pablo Llarena ques- not to be named because
tioned Forcadell and ive they weren’t authorized to
other members of the Cat- speak publicly about the
alan parliament’s govern- court proceedings.
ing body on Thursday for Catalonia’s deposed re-
more than 10 hours before gional president, Carles
deciding whether to jail Puigdemont, and four of his
them. former Cabinet members
The judge set a 25,000-euro led to Brussels, where they
($29,000) bail to be paid are ighting Spanish arrest
in one week for four of the and extradition orders.
lawmakers, and released In a letter posted on social
from custody another who media Thursday, the ive
had made the Oct. 27 in- called on voters to sup-
dependence vote possible port pro-secession parties
by allowing a debate on in Catalonia’s upcoming
secession but opposed the regional election
declaration of a separate “It’s time to drive away from
republic. the (Catalan) institutions
While appearing in court those who want to own
Ex-speaker of the Catalonia parliament Carme Forcadell, front right, arrives at the Spain’s Supreme for questioning, Forcadell them with a coup d’etat,”
Court in Madrid, Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017. sought to avoid detention Puigdemont tweeted, re-
(AP Photo/Francisco Seco) by describing the inde- ferring to Spain’s decision
By ARITZ PARRA ers. that are punishable by up pendence declaration as to assume control of the
Associated Press The Spanish government to 30 years of imprisonment “symbolic,” according to region.q
MADRID (AP) — A Spanish immediately seized control
judge jailed Catalonia’s of the wealthy northeastern
top lawmaker Thursday in a region, the irst time in the
rebellion probe stemming four decades since Gen.
from an independence Francisco Franco’s dicta-
declaration, but set Carme torship ended that Madrid
Forcadell’s bail at 150,000 removed powers from any
euros ($175,000) and or- of the country’s 17 regions.
dered her passport to be Central authorities also
coniscated as the investi- dismissed the Catalonia’s
gation continues. regional president and his
Forcadell is speaker of government, who are now
the regional parliament also jailed on preliminary
where separatist lawmak- rebellion charges or ight-
ers passed a declaration ing extradition to Spain
to proclaim a new Cata- from Belgium. Spain also
lan republic on Oct. 27, dissolved the parliament
disregarding Constitutional and called a new regional
Court warnings that such a election for Dec. 21.
move was illegal. Prosecutors are pursuing
The vote was boycotted by charges of rebellion, sedi-
most opposition lawmak- tion and embezzlement

Putin: Russian doping scandals

could be US election meddling

MOSCOW (AP) — President have a complex skein of
Vladimir Putin is suggesting “relationships and depen-
that a recent lurry of Rus- dencies.” He said “and
sian sports doping allega- the controlling stake is in
tions could be an Ameri- the United States,” where
can attempt to interfere sponsors and television
in next year’s Russian presi- broadcasters are concen-
dential election. trated.
On Thursday, four Russian “In response to our alleged
cross-country skiers were interference in their elec-
found guilty of doping at tions, they want to create
the 2014 Sochi Olympics. problems during the elec-
In all, six Russian skiers have tion of the president of Rus-
been found guilty by an In- sia,” he said Thursday.
ternational Olympics Com- Putin has not announced
mittee commission. whether he will run for an-
Putin noted that interna- other term in the March 18
tional sports organizations election. q