Spanish court drops ‘Russian interference’ case

Attempts to reopen criminal proceedings into alleged collusion in Catalonia’s 2017 independence referendum have been dismissed

The Barcelona Provincial Court has closed a case into alleged “Russian interference” in the 2017 Catalan independence referendum, citing “irregular” procedures and “non-compliance” from a judge who was seeking to pursue the claims.

The judicial body annulled a prior attempt by Judge Joaquin Aguirre to open a new part in the case, according to court documents published on Tuesday. Aguirre had earlier allowed the case against former Catalan presidents Carles Puigdemont and Artur Mas to go to the Supreme Court.

The Barcelona court ruled in May for the judge to drop his case indicting Puigdemont and Mas for treason and alleged collusion with Russia, in a bid to secede from Spain.

In late June, Aguirre reopened a case regarding alleged support from Russia for Catalonia’s separatists. The judge believed that even if the separatist attempt failed, the resulting conflict and destabilization served Russia’s interests.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova previously rejected claims by the Spanish media of Russian support for Catalan separatists, and said they harmed relations between the two countries.

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On Tuesday, the court stated that Aguirre had used an “irregular procedural maneuver” which amounted to “a de facto non-compliance” with its prior instructions, in his efforts to renew his case against the pro-independence leaders.

The Barcelona Court ruled “to declare the contested resolution and the judicial proceedings that derive from it as null,” as well as “archive the separate file opened for the investigation of Russian interference in the independence process of Catalonia.”

The Supreme Court will now be required to decide whether to continue the proceedings. Separatist sentiments have grown since the Mas presidency in the heavily industrialized Spanish region.

The conservative former Catalan leader, who led the territory from 2010 to 2015, regularly rowed with Madrid as he sought better tax conditions for his region amid a financial crisis.

In 2017, under then-president Puigdemont, Catalonia ran an independence referendum amid a crackdown by Madrid. According to the region’s government, 90% voted for independence, with the turnout spanning just over 40% of the Catalan population. After Madrid sought his arrest, Puigdemont fled abroad. He has since served as a member of European Parliament for more than five years, fending off repeated Spanish efforts to extradite him.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has since softened sedition laws, and earlier this year passed a sweeping amnesty law pardoning Catalan politicians accused of separatist activities. The move triggered massive protests from Spain’s right-wing parties, and has been slammed by Sanchez’ opposition as an attempt to shore up flagging political support.