The Latest: Catalan 5 cannot leave Belgium before ruling

A statement from the prosecutor’s office says they must stay in Belgium and tell authorities where they will reside. They also must attend in person all court hearings and “comply will all summons made by judicial or police authorities.”

The five will have to appear in court where the full grounds of Spain’s request for their extradition will be ruled on. Any decision there can be appealed.

12:15 a.m.

A Belgian official says ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and four close allies are to be conditionally released by Belgian authorities.

The official said early Monday that the five would have to meet certain conditions during their release, although those were not immediately clear. The official agreed to discuss the matter only if granted anonymity because the decision is to be formally announced later.

The five were heard by an investigative judge Sunday afternoon and evening after they voluntarily turned themselves in to authorities, only days after Spain had issued a European arrest warrant.

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4 p.m.

A Belgian government official says that the international community has to keep a close eye on Spain to make sure that ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont gets fair legal treatment in Madrid.

Puigdemont and four close allies turned themselves in to Belgian authorities Sunday and now await whether they will be extradited to fellow European Union nation Spain.

Belgian Vice Premier and Interior Minister Jan Jambon told the VTM network that “I am just questioning how an EU member state can go this far — and I am asking myself where Europe is to have an opinion on this.”

The Belgian government has been one of the most critical voices about Spain’s treatment of the Catalan crisis and condemned the violence from the central authorities that accompanied the Catalan referendum on Oct 1.

Jambon said that “you have Spanish law but also international law, the European Human Rights Treaty and such things and they come ahead of member state law. So I think the international community must keep a close watch.”

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3:10 p.m.

An opinion poll published by Barcelona’s La Vanguardia newspaper forecasts a tight electoral race between parties for and against the independence of Catalonia from the rest of Spain.

Pro-secession parties held a majority of 72 of 135 seats in the Catalan Parliament before it was dissolved by Spanish authorities as part of a crackdown after it had voted for a declaration of independence. Spanish authorities then called for a snap election for Catalonia on Dec. 21.

The new poll predicts that the three pro-secession parties would win between 66 and 69 seats in December. Sixty-eight seats are needed for a majority.

The poll quizzed 1,233 residents of Catalonia between Oct. 30 and Nov. 3. It had a margin of error of 2.8 per cent.

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2:15 p.m.

Brussels prosecutors say that ousted Catalan president Carles Puigdemont and four ex-ministers have been taken into custody to start the process of their possible extradition to Spain.

A spokesman for the Brussels prosecutor’s office, Gilles Dejemeppe, says the five presented themselves to federal police and have been in custody since 9 a.m. (0800 GMT; 3 a.m. EST). He said that they have not been arrested and that Puigdemont and the four ex-ministers will be heard by an investigative judge Sunday afternoon.

The judge will have to decide what the next steps are within 24 hours. They could vary from arrest and imprisonment to conditional release.

The five had fled to Belgium this week after being removed from power by Spanish authorities as part of an extraordinary crackdown to impede the region’s illegal declaration of independence.

Federal prosecutors in Belgium had said on Saturday that they were studying the warrants and that they had shared them with city counterparts in Brussels.

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2 p.m.

Belgian state broadcaster VRT says that Catalan ex-president Carles Puigdemont and four other former regional ministers have turned themselves in to police in Brussels.

VRT says that all five have arrived at the Brussels prosecutor’s office. The prosecutor is due to make a statement shortly about a European arrest warrant issued for Puigdemont and the other four as Spain seeks their return for an investigation related to Catalonia’s independence bid.

They had fled to Belgium this week after being removed from power by Spanish authorities as part of an extraordinary crackdown to impede the region’s illegal declaration of independence.

Federal prosecutors in Belgium had said on Saturday that they were studying the warrants and that they had shared them with city counterparts in Brussels.

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12:30 p.m.

The Brussels prosecutor has announced he will make a statement at 2 p.m. (1300 GMT; 8 a.m. EST) about the European arrest warrant and the situation of ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and four other ex-officials.

The announcement came as rumours were swirling that Puigdemont and his four allies were about to be arrested.

Puigdemont and four of his ex-ministers fled to Belgium this week after being removed from power by Spanish authorities as part of an extraordinary crackdown to impede the region’s illegal declaration of independence.

Federal prosecutors in Belgium had said on Saturday that they were studying the warrants and that they had shared them with city counterparts in Brussels.

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11:45 a.m.

Catalans in favour of seceding from Spain are gathering to put up posters for independence and to demand the release of jailed separatist leaders in towns across northeastern Spain.

The leading pro-secession grassroots group, Catalan National Assembly (ANC), organized the poster rally. It offered downloadable posters for people to print out and use to plaster on walls and windows.

The same group has also called for a strike on Wednesday and a public protest on Saturday. The group has organized rallies of several hundred thousands of secessionist supporters in recent years.

Agusti Alcoberro, the vice-president of ANC, says that he “hopes that everyone participates” in the upcoming rallies.

Alcoberro also said that his group is considering organizing a rally in Brussels on Dec. 6.

The president of ANC, Jordi Sanchez, was ordered to jail without bail along with another leader of a separatist group for leading a protest that ended up trashing police vehicles and impeding officers from exiting a building they were searching in September.

Eight lawmakers have also been jailed for pushing through an illegal declaration of independence.

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10:15 a.m.

Belgian state prosecutors are examining international arrest warrants issued by Spain for the ousted leader of Catalonia and other members of his disbanded Cabinet.

Carles Puigdemont and four of his ex-ministers fled to Belgium this week after being removed from power by Spanish authorities as part of an extraordinary crackdown to impede the region’s illegal declaration of independence.

Federal prosecutors in Belgium said on Saturday that they were studying the warrants and that they had shared them with city counterparts in Brussels.

A Spanish National Court judge issued warrants for the five separatist politicians on suspicion of rebellion, rebellion and embezzlement on Friday, a day after the same judge sent another eight former Catalan Cabinet members to jail without bail while her investigation continues.

The Associated Press

by Canadian Press