MADRID – The Latest on the restive Spanish region of Catalonia (all times local):
12:40 p.m.
Carme Forcadell, a leading activist in Catalonia's pro-independence movement, says she will not seek re-election as regional parliament speaker when the chamber meets Jan 17.
Forcadell, who is under investigation for rebellion for her involvement in the push for independence, said it was time someone else to occupy the post. The role is important as the speaker can decide what is debated and voted on.
Forcadell was re-elected lawmaker for the pro-secession ERC party last month after elections called by the Spanish government when it sacked the regional government and dissolved parliament following its declaration of independence.
She previously headed the National Catalan Assembly, the main pro-independence grassroots group.
Earlier this week, former regional president Artur Mas resigned as head of the PDeCat leading separatist party.
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10:10 a.m.
Two recently-elected lawmakers in the restive Spanish region of Catalonia and another separatist activist are making their case against their jailing for involvement in the region's push for independence.
National Catalan Assembly civic group member Jordi Sanchez and former Catalan interior minister Joaquim Forn, who were elected on separatist party tickets in Catalonia's Dec. 21 elections, are appearing Thursday before Supreme Court Judge Pablo LLarena. Also appearing is activist Jordi Cuixart.
Forn was one of several regional ministers jailed on provisional charges of rebellion after the Catalan parliament declared independence Oct. 27. That prompted the Spanish government in Madrid to dissolve the regional parliament and call fresh elections.
Sanchez and Cuixart were jailed previously on provisional sedition charges related to preparations for the illegal Oct. 1 independence referendum.
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