Madrid Judiciary Fuels Tensions After Issuing Arrest Warrant for Catalan Leader

Sacked Catalan President Carles Puigdemont makes a statement in this still image from video calling for the release of "the legitimate government of Catalonia", after a Spanish judge ordered nine Catalan secessionist leaders to be held in custody pending a potential trial over the region's independence push, in Brussels, Belgium, November 2, 2017. TV3 via REUTERS
Sacked Catalan President Carles Puigdemont makes a statement in this still image from video calling for the release of "the legitimate government of Catalonia", after a Spanish judge ordered nine Catalan secessionist leaders to be held in custody pending a potential trial over the region's independence push, in Brussels, Belgium, November 2, 2017. TV3 via REUTERS
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Madrid Judiciary Fuels Tensions After Issuing Arrest Warrant for Catalan Leader

Sacked Catalan President Carles Puigdemont makes a statement in this still image from video calling for the release of "the legitimate government of Catalonia", after a Spanish judge ordered nine Catalan secessionist leaders to be held in custody pending a potential trial over the region's independence push, in Brussels, Belgium, November 2, 2017. TV3 via REUTERS
Sacked Catalan President Carles Puigdemont makes a statement in this still image from video calling for the release of "the legitimate government of Catalonia", after a Spanish judge ordered nine Catalan secessionist leaders to be held in custody pending a potential trial over the region's independence push, in Brussels, Belgium, November 2, 2017. TV3 via REUTERS

A Spanish judge issued an international arrest warrant for ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, a day after he failed to appear for questioning over his role in the region's tumultuous independence drive.

National Court investigating judge Carmen Lamela filed the request with the Belgian prosecutor to detain Puigdemont and four aides who have been last seen in Brussels the five, and issued separate international search and arrest warrants to alert Europol in case they flee Belgium.

The announcement added to anger and dismay in a second straight night of demonstrations in the wealthy north-eastern region, with protesters chanting and waving Catalan flags of red and yellow stripes with a white star.

The 54-year-old ignored on Thursday summons to appear before the same judge in Madrid.

Puigdemont and the four other Catalan ministers were dismissed by Spain's central government a week ago. According to the judge, the five are being sought for five different crimes, including rebellion, sedition and embezzlement in a Spanish investigation into their roles in pushing for secession for Catalonia.

On Thursday the judge had Puigdemont's deputy and seven other deposed regional ministers jailed pending a possible trial because of a risk that they might similarly abscond.

Speaking in an interview on Belgian television channel RTBF on Friday, recorded before the widely expected warrant was issued, Puigdemont said he was not hiding from "real justice" but from a "clearly politicized" Spanish legal system.

He said he was not convinced by guarantees of a fair trial, decrying the "enormous pressure and political influence on judicial power in Spain."

"I have told my lawyers to inform the Belgian justice authorities that I am completely at their disposal," he said.

Belgian prosecutors said they would study the warrant and then give it to a judge.

Protests and Bullets

Spain's worst political crisis in decades flared up over the staging of a Catalan independence referendum on October 1 despite a court ban. Spanish police tried and failed to stop it, in some cases firing rubber bullets.

An independence declaration by the Catalan parliament followed one week ago.

Spain's government responded by dismissing Puigdemont's government, imposing direct rule and calling fresh elections in Catalonia on December 21.

Twenty people including Puigdemont and the Catalan parliament speaker had been summoned for questioning on Thursday.

Puigdemont's Belgian lawyer Paul Bekaert, who has helped Basque separatist militants challenge Spanish extradition, said his client did not see the climate as "conducive to testifying".

Late Thursday, as television footage showed police vans with flashing blue lights driving Puigdemont's former ministers to different prisons, furious Catalans took to the streets.

About 20,000 people, according to police, demonstrated in the regional capital Barcelona, while others gathered across in towns, and thousands turned out again on Friday evening.

Puigdemont has said that the situation "is no longer an internal Spanish affair", calling on the international community to wake up to the "danger".

But apart from Scotland's separatist First Minister Nicola Sturgeon criticizing the "jailing of political opponents", there are no signs that other countries' steadfast backing of Madrid is faltering.

Germany reiterated its support for the "unity and constitutional order of Spain" while a European Commission spokeswoman said it respects "fully" the independence of the Spanish judiciary.

"Spain has the rule of law and nobody can escape court decisions. There are international instruments to ensure that those who want to escape are placed at the disposal of the courts," Spanish government spokesman Inigo Mendez de Vigo said.

The 7.5 million people of Catalonia, which until this past week had considerable autonomy, are fiercely proud of their language and culture but are also deeply divided about the wisdom of independence.

Spain's central bank warned Thursday of a possible recession in Catalonia. Unemployment there rose strongly in October. More than 2,000 firms have moved their legal headquarters elsewhere.

The separatist movement is also divided, although there are tentative signs that the latest events might galvanize its two main parties to fight the December election with a common list.

"It's absolutely indispensable that we have a joint strategy to battle the repression," Sergi Sabria, a spokesman for the ERC party, told Catalunya Radio.

Peter Ceretti at the Economist Intelligence Unit said pro-independence parties might win the December election, as the jailed ministers could deliver an "important propaganda" boost.

Puigdemont said Friday he was "ready to be a candidate" in the election, but he poured scorn on the exercise.

He added: “We can run a campaign anywhere because we’re in a globalized world.”

Puigdemont said he wanted the vote “to take place under the best possible conditions. It’s not with a government in prison that these elections are going to be neutral, independent, normal.”

"I was elected. What is the purpose of (new) elections?" he asked, accusing Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy of "illegally" dissolving the Catalan parliament.

"In order to resolve political problems you need to play politics. You don't imprison those who think differently to you," Puigdemont said.



Deadline Trump Announced for Iran to Begin Ceasing Fire against Israel Passes

TOPSHOT - This frame grab take from AFPTV footage shows the remnants of an Iranian missile intercepted over Qatar, as it lies on a pavement near a fence on June 23, 2025. (Photo by AFPTV / AFP)
TOPSHOT - This frame grab take from AFPTV footage shows the remnants of an Iranian missile intercepted over Qatar, as it lies on a pavement near a fence on June 23, 2025. (Photo by AFPTV / AFP)
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Deadline Trump Announced for Iran to Begin Ceasing Fire against Israel Passes

TOPSHOT - This frame grab take from AFPTV footage shows the remnants of an Iranian missile intercepted over Qatar, as it lies on a pavement near a fence on June 23, 2025. (Photo by AFPTV / AFP)
TOPSHOT - This frame grab take from AFPTV footage shows the remnants of an Iranian missile intercepted over Qatar, as it lies on a pavement near a fence on June 23, 2025. (Photo by AFPTV / AFP)

A deadline announced by US President Donald Trump for Iran to begin ceasing fire in its war with Israel was reached early Tuesday after Iran fired multiple missile barrages. At least three people were killed in the early morning barrages, but there was no immediate word of further attacks. 

Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue services said at least eight more people were injured in the early morning barrage. At least one person is believed trapped in the rubble and a residential building in Israel’s south sustained heavy damage, according to emergency services. 

 
Waves of missiles sent Israelis to bomb shelters for almost two hours in the morning. 
Trump's announcement that Israel and Iran had agreed to a “complete and total ceasefire" came soon after Iran launched a limited missile attack Monday on a US military base in Qatar, retaliating for the American bombing of its nuclear sites. Israel so far has not acknowledged the Trump ceasefire announcement. 

 
Iran's foreign minister said that as long as Israel stopped its attacks by 4 a.m. local Tehran time Tuesday, Iran would halt its own. But nearly an hour after that deadline, Israel’s military warned its public that Iran had launched missiles towards it as sirens sounded. At least one missile interception could be seen over the skies of Jerusalem and warnings of three further attacks followed as day broke. 

 
It’s unclear what the detected missile launches would do for the ceasefire's timeline. 
Trump's announcement on Truth Social said the ceasefire wouldn't begin until about midnight Tuesday Eastern time. He said it would bring an “Official END” to the war. 

 
Israel doesn't confirm ceasefire but appears to pause strikes Israel did not immediately acknowledge any ceasefire, but there were no reports of Israeli strikes in Iran after 4 a.m. local. Heavy Israeli strikes continued in Tehran and other cities until shortly before that time. Israel in other conflicts has stepped up its strikes just before ceasefires took effect. 

 
“As of now, there is NO ‘agreement’ on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote in a post on X. “However, provided that the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people no later than 4 am Tehran time, we have no intention to continue our response afterwards.” 

 
His message was posted at 4:16 a.m. Tehran time. Araghchi added: “The final decision on the cessation of our military operations will be made later.” 

 
The Israeli military declined to comment on Trump’s ceasefire statement and the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. 

 
Trump describes conflict as ’12 Day War’  

Trump gave the conflict between Israel and Iran a name: the “12 Day War.” That recalls the 1967 Mideast war, known by some as the “Six Day War,” in which Israel fought a group of Arab countries including Egypt, Jordan and Syria. 

 
Trump’s reference carries emotional weight for the Arab world, particularly Palestinians. In the 1967 war, Israel captured the West Bank and east Jerusalem from Jordan, the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, and the Golan Heights from Syria. Though Israel later gave the Sinai back to Egypt, it still holds the other territories. 

 
Trump communicated directly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to secure the ceasefire, according to a senior White House official who insisted on anonymity to discuss the Monday talks. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff communicated with the Iranians through direct and indirect channels. 

 
The White House has maintained that the Saturday bombing helped get the Israelis to agree to the ceasefire and that the Qatari government helped to broker the deal. 

 
It’s unclear what role Ali Khamenei, Iran’s leader, played in the talks. He said earlier on social media that he would not surrender. 

 
Iran attack against US implied willingness to de-escalate Iran attacked a US base in Qatar on Monday, but appeared to indicate it was prepared to reduce tensions. The US was warned by Iran in advance, and there were no casualties, said Trump, who dismissed the attack as a “very weak response.” 

 
Qatar condemned the attack on Al Udeid Air Base as “a flagrant violation" of its sovereignty, airspace and international law. Qatar said it intercepted all but one missile, though it was not clear if that missile caused any damage. 

 
Iran said the volley matched the number of bombs dropped by the United States on Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend. Iran also said it targeted the base because it was outside of populated areas. 

 
Qatar Maj. Gen. Shayeq Al Hajri said 19 missiles were fired at the base that is home to the Combined Air Operations Center, which provides command and control of air power across the region, as well as the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, the largest such wing in the world. Trump said 14 missiles were fired, 13 were knocked down and one was “set free” because it posed no threat. 

 
Iran announced the attack on state television, with a caption calling it “a mighty and successful response" to "America’s aggression.” 

 
Earlier reports that a missile was launched at a base housing American forces in Iraq were a false alarm, a senior US military official said. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly, said debris from a malfunctioning Iranian missile targeting Israel had triggered an alert of an impending attack on the Ain al-Assad base. 

 
By early Tuesday, Qatar Airways resumed its flights after Qatar shut down its airspace over the Iranian attack on Al Udeid Air Base. Flight-tracking data showed commercial aircraft again flying in Qatari airspace, signaling Doha believed the threat on the energy-rich nation had passed.