Spain's National Court sends request to Switzerland to locate pro-independence leader
Judge García-Castellón asks for information on Marta Rovira as part of investigation into Tsunami Democràtic protest group
Spain's National Court has sent a letter of request to Switzerland to ask authorities there to locate Marta Rovira, the General Secretary of pro-independence party Esquerra Republicana (ERC).
Judge Manuel García-Castellón has made the request within the framework of his investigation into the Tsunami Democràtic protest group.
Rovira has been living in exile in Switzerland since the aftermath of the 2017 independence push.
As reported by Catalan newspaper La Vanguardia and confirmed by the Catalan News Agency (ACN), the judge has also requested information about a bank account registered with CIM Bank, asking Swiss authorities for persons linked to the account and their identity documents.
In addition, he wants a statement of the account's movements since its creation in June 2020, as well as the checks issued.
Tsunami Democràtic
On Tuesday, the same judge sent his investigation of the anonymous protest group to Spain's Supreme Court, with former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont also implicated in the case.
The National Court has been investigating the Tsunami Democràtic case for several years and, in early November, it added high-profile pro-independence politicians to the case.
Operating through instant messaging application Telegram, Tsunami Democràtic organized protests such as the blockade of the AP-7 highway near France and the attempt to shut down the Barcelona airport after the sentencing of the referendum organizers in 2019.
Magistrates believe that these events may constitute a potential crime of terrorism.
Puigdemont and Rovira, both living in exile, are being investigated along with ten others, including ERC MP Rubén Wagensberg.
Prosecution appeals sending case to Supreme Court
The Spanish prosecution has been appealing the National Court's decisions regarding the Tsunami Democràtic protests group case.
On Wednesday, the prosecution's office appealed the decision to send the case to the Spanish Supreme Court, where the case can be tried.
Earlier this month, the same prosecution also appealed the decision of the same court to include terrorism in the judicial case.