A Spanish judge on Monday ordered the release on bail of six former government officials in Catalonia, but ruled that the former Catalan vice president and three other separatist leaders must remain in jail while prosecutors investigate them for their independence drive. If the six ex-officials, who had been cabinet members under former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont, post the €100,000 ($118,950) bail ordered by the judge, they will be able to campaign in events ahead of the regional parliamentary elections that are scheduled for Dec. 21. The officials were jailed on Nov. 2 pending an investigation by state prosecutors on charges of sedition, rebellion and misappropriation of public funds for their sustained bid to split with Spain.
Supreme Court Judge Pablo Llarena ordered the six ex-officials to appear weekly in court, to hand over their passports and prohibited them from leaving Spain.
Mr. Puigdemont and four other former cabinet members fled to Belgium after Catalan lawmakers voted to declare the wealthy region—which generates around one-fifth of Spain’s annual economic output—independent. A Belgian court said Monday that it will announce on Dec. 14 its decision on whether Mr. Puigdemont and the other former separatist leaders should be extradited to Spain, a decision that could be appealed.
Full Article: Judge Releases Six Catalan Separatists Ahead of Regional Election – WSJ.