(CNN) — A Spanish judge issued an international arrest warrant for ousted Catalan president Carles Puigdemont on Friday, one day after eight fellow members of the dissolved Catalan government were jailed in Spain.
Puigdemont, who considers himself the rightful leader of Catalonia, is currently in Belgium. He’s said he’s not fleeing the Spanish court system but instead is seeking European support for his region’s independence bid.
Carmen Lamela, a judge in Spain’s National Court, asked Belgium’s prosecutor’s office to arrest Puidgemont and four ministers in the dissolved Catalan government who ignored a court order to appear before a judge Thursday.
The charges include sedition, rebellion, misuse of funds, abuse of authority and contempt. The other four people named in warrants are Toni Comin, Clara Ponsati, Lluis Puig and Meritxell Serret.
The issuance of the warrant for Puigdemont’s arrest was expected but still increases the tension between Catalan leaders and the Spanish national government, which so far has thwarted the independence drive.
Puigdemont and the 13 former ministers were ordered to appear before the Spanish high court. Of the nine former officials who showed up, eight were detained and one was freed on bond.
Puigdemont didn’t appear and issued a video message in which he called the court’s action “an attack on democracy.”
Spain was plunged into its worst political crisis in decade after Puigdemont’s administration held an independence referendum on October 1.
The Catalan parliament declared unilateral independence and Madrid responded by suspending the region’s autonomy, sacking the government and imposing direct rule.
Puigdemont and some of his former ministers turned up in Brussels early this week after Spain’s state prosecutor announced he would seek charges of rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds against them.
The arrest warrant issued Friday also said Puidgemont will not be allowed to testify via videoconference from Belgium.
This story was first published on CNN.com “Spain issues arrest warrant for ex-Catalan president Carles Puigdemont.”
