Spanish judge refuses bail to 4 Catalan leaders

Madrid, Dec 4 (IANS) A Spanish judge on Monday ruled that the former Vice President of Catalonia and three other senior Catalan pro-independence leaders will remain in jail for their part in October's independence referendum, ruled illegal by the country's top court.

Former Vice President Oriol Junqueras, former Interior Minister Joaquim Forn and the leaders of the Catalonia National Assembly (ANC) and Omnium Cultural, Jordi S?nchez and Jordi Cuixar, face charges of sedition.

The decision limits their ability to campaign in fresh regional elections which are due to be held in Catalonia on December 21, CNN reported.

Six former Cabinet members of the now disbanded Catalan Parliament were released on bail of 100,000 euros ($118,000 approximately).

Catalonia's former President Carles Puigdemont is due to appear in Brussels later in the day for an extradition hearing to send him from Belgium to Spain, where he also faces trial.

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