Catalonia’s separatist prime minister, Pere Aragones, threatened on Tuesday to largely suspend institutional ties with Spain until the central government clarifies allegations of espionage against separatist politicians. At the government palace in Barcelona,Aragones spoke of a “red line” that had been crossed. The procedure will have consequences for relations between Catalonia and Spain.
The Spanish government allegedly illegally spied on Catalonia’s separatist regional government at the height of the independence process between 2017 and 2020 using Israeli software “Pegasus”. Aragones condemned the incident on Twitter as an “attack on fundamental rights and democracy” and asked for a statement and explanation from Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
At least 63 cell phones tapped
According to a report by Canadian research group Citizen Lab, the cell phones of at least 63 Catalan separatist leaders were hacked and tapped using the system, Spanish media reported on Tuesday. Among them are the current Catalan regional president, Pere Aragones, his predecessors Quim Torra and Artur Mas, as well as several members of the then regional government and parliament, as well as lawyers and representatives of various separatist civil movements.
In addition to Aragonés and his predecessors Quim Torra and Artur Mas, several members of the then government and regional parliament, as well as lawyers and representatives of various separatist civil movements were allegedly spied on.
“I want to know who is responsible”
Catalonia’s Prime Minister Aragonés has asked Spain’s Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to clear up the wiretapping scandal immediately. “We want to know who is responsible for the espionage and who ordered it,” Aragonés said. In addition, Catalan separatist parties will officially request a parliamentary commission of inquiry into the case in Madrid.
Meanwhile, former Catalan regional president Carles Puigdemont and separatist leader Oril Junqueras announced legal action against those responsible in Brussels on Tuesday. “In a democratic Europe there must be no space for espionage”, Puigdemont stressed.
Puigdemont and Junqueras sit in the Brussels European Parliament for their respective breakaway party formations. Junqueras, the former deputy prime minister of Catalonia, was released from prison last year for his involvement in the illegal 2017 independence referendum. Puigdemont fled into exile from Spain to Brussels immediately after the banned secession referendum. Madrid has since asked Belgium to extradite Puigdemont to the Spanish judiciary.
Spain denies accusations
Meanwhile, the Spanish central government rejects all allegations. Spain is a constitutional state, “in which we do not spy, eavesdrop on conversations or conduct wiretapping unless this is done within the framework of the law,” government spokeswoman Isabel Rodriguez said on Tuesday. The Spanish government will cooperate “as far as possible” in investigating the allegations.
The Interior Ministry had already made it clear that neither the police nor the Guardia Civil had bothered Catalan separatist leaders. However, the Spanish secret service CNI was not named in the statement, which is why the Catalan regional government suspects those responsible for the illegal wiretapping scandal here.