Public prosecutors from Spain's National Audience court have released a statement announcing that they are studying bringing criminal charges against the Catalan CDR (Committees for Defence of the Republic), suggesting they could possibly have committed the crimes of rebellion, misuse of public funds and/or other offences against public order during their acts of resistance, like blocking roads and opening toll barriers. The text, which counts with the support of the attorney general, says that the actions could imply an implicit desire to "subvert the constitutional order".
"The fact cannot be avoided that the aim of their behaviour is to subvert the constitutional order, protecting and extolling with violence people under legal investigation for the most serious crimes that can take place in a social, democratic, lawful state, like rebellion", says the statement, alluding to the CDRs' protests against the imprisonment of a number of pro-independence politicians.
"Such behaviour, which in view of the latest development can constitute crimes of rebellion, misuse of public funds and other crimes against the public order, will not be permitted and the public prosecution service, as guarantor of the constitutional order, will act firmly to bring its perpetrators before the justice system", says the text about the "intolerable actions". Prosecutors say they are coordinating with Spain's security forces with regards to the investigations to be undertaken.
This comes after the investigating judge in the independence referendum case, Pablo Llarena, was subject to a threat on Twitter and the senior public prosecutor of Catalonia called for police protection for him and his family.