Spain: Catalonia independence - Carles Puigdemont faces PRISON if he declares independence - by Jon Rogers

José Manuel Maza, 66, gave a blunt message to the President of the north east region and said he would call on the Catalan police - Mossos d’Esquadra - to detain Mr Puigdemont, who has been the focal figures in the region’s push to break away from the rest of Spain.

Mr Maza, speaking at an event on cybersecurity in Madrid, said: “I am surprised that this is surprising. This is normal and natural in a state of law and, therefore, it is logical to pursue.

The rebellion crime is punishable by 30 years in prison if it is a crime of considerable gravity, of course."

He added that if the Catalan police did not comply with the order, Spain would take over control of the force.

Read more: Catalonia independence - Carles Puigdemont faces PRISON if he declares independence | World | News | Express.co.uk

Spain-Catalonia says it will defy orders from Spanish government - by Julien Toyer, Paul Day

Catalonia will defy attempts by Madrid to enforce direct rule on the region in a dispute that is raising fears of unrest among Spain's European allies.

The Spanish government has invoked special constitutional powers to fire the regional government and force elections to counter an independence drive. A vote in the national Senate to implement direct rule is due on Friday.

But leaders of the secessionist campaign said a referendum on 1 October, in which 43 per cent of the electorate voted, gave them a mandate to claim independence from the rest of Spain.Also notable is that only 1 in 3 Catalans participated in the referendum, with most opponents of secession staying at home.

Note EU-Digest: With only 43 % (1 in 3) of the voters in Catalonia coming out to vote in this illegal and dubiously organized referendum, the Catalan Government can certainly not claim they have a clear mandate to become independent, and one can only hope the leadership of this "movement" will be arrested and put to trial.  

Catalonia says it will defy orders from Spanish government when it imposes direct rule | The Independent