西班牙加泰罗尼亚地区的一批领导人星期四在马德里的两个法庭出庭，应对有关造反、颠覆和挪用公款的指控。这些指控跟他们推动加泰罗尼亚独立有关联。
出庭应诉的不包括被罢黜的加泰罗尼亚领导人普伊格蒙特。他这个星期在布鲁塞尔，因此没有遵照法庭的命令出庭应诉。他声言那些指控都有政治动机，并表示只有在他得到保证，有关司法程序将是不偏不倚和公正的情况下，他才会返回西班牙。
西班牙执政的人民党的一位发言人对美联社说，普伊格蒙特星期四未能在马德里出庭应诉可能会导致西班牙当局发布逮捕令和引渡他的请求。检察官们已经对14名加泰罗尼亚的领导人提出起诉，其中包括普伊格蒙特和他的副手。
为了应对10月1日的独立公投和加泰罗尼亚议会随后宣布独立，西班牙中央政府上星期采取措施，控制了加泰罗尼亚，并解散了该地区的议会。
加泰罗尼亚在退出西班牙的问题上也处于分裂状态。那些参加公投的人要求独立，但反对派则抵制了那次公投，而马德里政府则宣布那次公投是非法的。
马德里政府上个星期剥夺了加泰罗尼亚的自治权。马德里的措施还包括开始安排加泰罗尼亚在今年12月举行新的选举。
A group of leaders from Spain's Catalonia region appeared in two Madrid courts Thursday to answer charges of rebellion, sedition and embezzlement connected to their push for Catalonia's independence.
Not among them was ousted leader Carles Puigdemont, who has spent this week in Brussels and did not abide by the court's order to appear. He has dismissed the charges as politically motivated and said he would only return to Spain if he receives a guarantee that the legal process will be impartial and fair.
A spokesman for Spain's ruling Popular Party, told the Associated Press Puigdemont's failure to appear in Madrid Thursday for the hearing could trigger the issuance of an arrest warrant and a petition to extradite him.
Prosecutors have filed charges against 14 Catalan leaders, including Puigdemont and his deputy.
Spain's central government moved to take control of Catalonia last week and disbanded the regional parliament in response to an October 1 independence referendum and subsequent declaration of independence by Catalan lawmakers.
Catalonia itself is divided on the secession issue. Those who participated in the referendum opted for independence, but the opposition boycotted the vote, while the Madrid government also declared it illegal.
Last week's move to strip Catalonia of its autonomy also included setting up new elections in the region for December.
