Catalonia crisis: Speaker of sacked Catalan Parliament Carme Forcadell detained over independence bid

Carme Forcadell, the Speaker of Catalonia’s dismissed Parliament was detained on Thursday by the Supreme Court of Spain pending bsil of 150,000 euros.

Carme Forcadell and four other deputies were facing charges of sedition, rebellion and misuse of public funds for aiding the Catalan parliament's secession bid and they had appeared before Spain’s highest tribunal.

It was suspected that Carme Forcadell and his deputies were following a "concerted strategy to declare independence", before the official announcement on October 27.

If the charges against them are proved, they Forcadell and his men shall face a jail term upto 30 years.

On Wednesday, the apex court of Spain had annulled the declaration of Independence by the now sacked Catalan Parliament.

Supreme Court judge Pablo Llarena ordered one Catalan lawmaker freed, but the four others apart from Forcadell must pay 25,000 euros within a week to avoid jail.

Following the Catalan Parliament’s bid to Independence, Spain is facing one of its most serious political crisis which forced hundreds of businesses to re-register outside the wealthy northeastern region.

The crisis has caused disquiet in the European Union which is already dealing with Britain’s shock Brexit decision.

On Wednesday, a general strike called in Catalonia by a pro-independence union triggered widespread travel chaos, cutting Spain's main highway link to France and the rest of Europe and disrupting trains from Barcelona to Paris, Marseille and Lyon.

(With PTI inputs)