Madrid believes Russian-based groups used online social media to heavily promote Catalonia’s independence referendum last month in an attempt to destabilize Spain, Spanish ministers said on Monday, Reuters wrote.
Speaking after the weekly Cabinet meeting on Friday, government spokesperson Inigo Mendez de Vigo and Defense Minister Maria Dolores de Cospedal confirmed that Russian and Venezuelan hackers have been interfering in the ongoing crisis in Catalonia, and announced that they would be dealing with the issue at the next European Union Foreign Affairs Council meeting, which will take place this Monday, according to El Pais.
Spain's Constitutional Court has officially annulled the Catalan parliament's unilateral declaration of independence, according to The Independent.
Catalonia's deposed leader Carles Puigdemont and four former advisers have turned themselves in to Belgian police, says a prosecutors' spokesman, according to BBC.
Sacked Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont on Tuesday said he accepted the snap elections called by Spain's central government in Catalonia and he was not seeking asylum in Belgium at a press conference given in Brussels, Reuters reported.
Spain's state prosecutor has called for rebellion, sedition and missue of public funds charges to be brought against Catalan's separatist leaders, according to Deutsche Welle.
Spain's control over Catalonia will be tested on Monday when politicians and civil servants return to work amid uncertainty over whether they will accept direct rule imposed by the central government to stop the region's independence bid, according to Reuters.
Ukraine supports the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Spain within internationally recognized borders, according to a statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
Soon after the vote at the regional parliament, the Senate – Spain's upper house – made the unprecedented step of approving measures allowing the Spanish government to impose direct rule over Catalonia, according to the BBC.
The Catalan parliament has voted to establish an independent republic in defiance of the Spanish government, which is expected to fire the region's president and impose direct rule within the next few hours, according to The Guardian.
European Council President Donald Tusk has explicitly ruled out any EU action over Catalonia, despite the "concerning" situation, according to BBC.
Spain’s central government threatened on Thursday to suspend Catalonia’s autonomy after the region’s leader said it could go ahead with a formal declaration of independence if Madrid continued its “repression”, Reuters reports.
Spain appeared to reject Catalonia's latest response on independence Monday, saying that it was not valid, according to CNBC citing Reuters.
Catalan leader said in his televised address in Catalan parliament on Tuesday that he would abide by the independence vote but would first seek a negotiated solution with Madrid, according to BBC.
The King of Spain lashed out at Catalan authorities on Tuesday evening after hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in Catalonia to vent their fury over the violent police crackdown on Sunday's contested independence referendum, according to CNN.
Ukraine considers illegitimate the recent referendum on the independence of Catalonia, according to press secretary of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Mariana Betsa.
Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont says the Spanish region has won the right to statehood following a contentious referendum that was marred by violence, BBC reports.
Spain’s northeastern region of Catalonia failed to hold an independence referendum on Sunday, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said, after more than 760 people were injured in clashes between police and voters during a ballot Madrid said was illegal, Reuters reported.
The Catalan government has said 337 people have been injured "by the Spanish state police violence," according to The Guardian.