Catalan President Artur Mas charged with organising illegal 2014 independence vote

THE Catalan president Artur Mas has been charged under Spain’s civil disobedience laws on Tuesday September 29 with organising a referendum on independence in November of last year.

Under Spain’s constitution regions may not legally split. The court’s decision to charge Mas comes days after a coalition of separatist parties, including his own, won a majority in the regional parliament.

Mas is summoned to appear before a judge on October 15 to face charges on the ‘symbolic referendum.’

The ‘public consultation’ was held instead of a referendum after Spain’s Constitutional Court ruled out a poll on independence from Spain deeming it to be against Spanish law.

The Catalan administration decided to hold a vote anyway, calling the symbolic ballot a ‘referendum lite.’ Over 2.3 million people voted in Catalonia’s symbolic independence vote with80 per cent of them backing secession from Spain.

Also summoned to court to appear before a judge are Joana Ortega, the former vice president of Catalonia, and Irene Rigau, the education minister.