Dismissed Catalonia President Will Not Return to Spain for Court Appearance

The lawyer of Carles Puigdemont, the dismissed president of the Catalonia local government who has been summoned to testify regarding charges related to the region's independence efforts, stated that his client will not go to Madrid to testify but can respond to questions from Belgium. According to Reuters, if Mr. Puigdemont does not attend the court sessions, a warrant for his arrest may be issued, which would prevent him from participating in the local elections in Catalonia scheduled for December 21, as ordered by the central Spanish government. Puigdemont's lawyer informed the media that no arrest warrant has currently been issued against him. Last Friday, following the unilateral declaration of the Republic and independence of Catalonia from Spain, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy dismissed Carles Puigdemont and other members of the Catalonia regional government by invoking Article 155 of the Constitution. The Attorney General of Spain on Monday charged Mr. Puigdemont with rebellion and separatism for holding an independence referendum on October 1, which is considered unconstitutional. Puigdemont's lawyer told the Associated Press, 'He will not go to Madrid, and my suggestion is that they speak with him in Brussels. This is practical.' He noted that under the law, the court and judicial authorities can question him while he is outside Spain. The Spanish Supreme Court has summoned Carles Puigdemont and 13 other members of the dismissed Catalonia local government to testify regarding charges of separatism, rebellion, and abuse of power. These sessions are scheduled to take place on Thursday and Friday. In this session, the judge will decide whether the defendants should be detained before the trial begins. The continuation of proceedings and the final trial regarding this case may take years. Reuters adds that three former advisors of the Catalonia local government returned from Belgium to Spain late Tuesday, and a crowd gathered at Barcelona airport chanting in support of the arrest of these individuals. Mr. Puigdemont decided to remain in Brussels and stated on Tuesday that he would only return to the country if the Spanish government provides him with the necessary guarantees. The Spanish prosecutor has requested the court to order Carles Puigdemont to deposit 6.2 million euros into the court account for fines and damages that will be determined later during the proceedings. However, if Puigdemont and his colleagues do not appear in court, their absence may likely be interpreted as an attempt to flee, and in that case, an arrest warrant may be issued against them. Currently, the local elections on December 21 are attracting the most attention in connection with the Catalonia crisis. The Spanish Prime Minister issued the order for these elections simultaneously with the dismissal of the Catalonia local government last Friday. Puigdemont stated on Tuesday in Brussels that he accepts the elections, and the central Spanish government has also stated that he can participate in these elections, although the judicial developments in the future may prevent his participation. In this context, the Spanish Prime Minister dissolved the Catalonia government; elections are to be held in December, and hundreds of thousands demonstrated in Barcelona in support of the unity of Spain. The central Spanish government has taken control of the Catalonia region. The dismissed leader of Catalonia accepted the holding of elections in this region. Ghanbari: A harsh response to the Catalonia crisis will have disastrous consequences. The changing landscape of 'proxies'; a war against the people in the streets of Iran. The first paragraph; the responsibility of the opposition and the possibility of radicalizing Iranian society. The death of the last Mossad representative in Tehran amid the Iranian crisis. 1300 hours of internet outages; Witkoff: A horrific massacre occurred during the protests in Iran.