The judge in the National Court in Spain dealing with the Catalan policial and constitutional crisis, Carmen Lamela, has accepted a request from the Spanish prosecutor's office to order the 'arrest without bail' for eight of the nine former members of the Catalan regional government.
Only Santi Vila, who resigned a day before the unilateral declaration of independence of Catalonia was made, has avoided jail if he pays €50,000 in bail money.
Among those who will have to sit in prison awaiting trial for sedition, rebellion and embezzlement, is the former vice-president of the Catalan government, Oriol Junqueras.
The judge concluded that there was a risk of continuing to commit crimes if the men were released, as well as a risk they would destroy evidence.
Lamela said also that the accued are well off and could flee the country, as has the former President, Carles Puigdemont and four of his team who are in Brussels.
It remains to be seen whether the judge issues a European Arrest Warrant against them but this is what the prosecution service is gunning for.
"The defendants' actions were well thought out and well prepared and organised, reiterating for more than two years the systematic breach of the Constitutional Court's ruling in favour of independence," the judge wrote.
In addition to Junqueras, the former members of the Catalan government that have been accused are Raül Romeva (International Affairs), Jordi Turull (Presidency), Meritxell Borrás (Governance), Josep Rull (Territory), Carles Mundó (Justice), Joaquim Forn (Interior) and Dolors Bassa (Employment).
The first two will go to Valdemoro prison, Rull is off to to Navalcarnero, Mundó will spend time in Aranjuez, and Forn and Junqueras will go to Estremera prison. Borrás and Bassa will be shipped off to Alcalá Meco prison. All prisons are in the province of Madrid.
None of them will be greeting those already sat in Soto Real jail near Madrid, where the leaders of the pro-independence organisations Catalan National Assembly, (Jordi Sànchez,) and Òmnium Cultural, (Jordi Cuixart) are already detained.
The politicians remaining in Brussels, of course failed to turn up in court in Madrid this morning so European Arrest Warrants almost certainly will be issued. Belgium's federal prosecutor already has commented that the office will "apply the law" if a request is made to arrest and deport the fugitives.
Puigdemont has hired Belgian human rights specialist Paul Bekaert, who in the past has represented alleged members of ETA and may determine that an asylum application best be lodged for Puigdemont while he continues the battle from outside Spain.
