Embattled former Catalan minister released ahead of April hearing as hundreds of activists rally in support

FORMER CATALAN MINISTER Clara Ponsati has been released on bail, following her appearance at the Edinburgh Sheriff Court in response to a warrant from the Spanish Government, seeking her extradition on charges of rebellion and misappropriation of public funds.

Ponsati’s lawyer Aamer Anwar says former Catalan minister is ‘determined to fight back’

FORMER CATALAN MINISTER Clara Ponsati has formally been placed under arrest following her voluntary arrival at an Edinburgh police station, accompanied by her solicitor Aamer Anwar and members of her legal team.

Aamer Anwar defends Scottish Government position and announces crowdfunder for former Catalan minister’s legal costs

AAMER ANWAR, the lawyer for former Catalan minister Clara Ponsati, has defended the Scottish Government’s lack of direct intervention in his client’s case and has announced that crowdfunding on her behalf will begin shortly.

Carles Puigdemont has “provisionally” stepped aside as Catalan president in favour of imprisoned grassroots leader Jordi Sànchez

ORIOL JUNQUERAS, the imprisoned vice-president of Catalonia, should be regarded as the legitimate successor to Carles Puigdemont, the major pro-independence Catalan party Esquerra Republicana (ERC) has argued.

During Catalan referendum, rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly were “disproportionately restricted”, says Amnesty report

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, the human rights non-governmental organisation, has noted a number of serious human rights violations in Spain and Catalonia as a result of the actions of the Spanish Government and Spanish authorities during 2017’s Catalan independence referendum.

Scottish and Catalan groups join forces in postcard campaign for imprisoned political leaders

A POSTCARD CAMPAIGN calling for supporters to send messages of solidarity to Catalan political prisoners has been launched by the Scottish branch of the Catalan National Assembly (ANC), in partnership with with Yes Scotland’s Future, Independence Live, English Scots for Yes, Catalan Defence Committee Scotland, SNP Youth, SNP Friends of Catalonia and Ungagged.

CommonSpace talks to Catalan independence activist Anna Arqué about republicanism, capitalism and the grassroots movement

ANNA ARQUE is a leading grassroots activist of the Catalan independence movement and a founding member of the ‘National Coordination for the Popular Referendum’ campaign, which helped organize and bring about the independence referendum of 1 October despite the violence and suppression of the Spanish authorities.

Catalan President Carles Puigdemont cancels planned address as protest grow

CARLES PUIGDEMONT has cancelled a planned public address, in which he was widely expected to dissolve the Catalan parliament and call for fresh elections in December.

According to the Catalan newspaper La Vanguardia, the decision to dissolve parliament was made following a seven-hour meeting of the Catalan Government, following the Spanish Government’s activation of Article 155 of the Spanish constitution, under which it would impose direct rule on the embattled region.