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Spain’s state prosecutor is investigating more than 700 Catalan mayors for cooperating with a referendum on independence that has been suspended by a court.

The prosecutor has ordered police to arrest the mayors if they do not comply.

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The pro-independence coalition ruling Catalonia has vowed to hold the vote despite the prohibition and has asked the 947 mayors in the northeastern region to provide facilities for the plebiscite.

Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy’s conservative government has pledged to stop the referendum and was granted a suspension by the Constitutional Court while judges decide on its legality.

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On Wednesday, the country’s top prosecutor, Jose Manuel Maza, ordered provincial prosecutors to investigate 712 mayors who have already offered municipal facilities for the October 1 vote and the regional Catalan police to arrest them if they do not show up to give evidence. </s> Spain's state prosecutor office says he is investigating more than 700 Catalan mayors for cooperating with a referendum on independence that has been suspended by a court, and has ordered police to arrest them if they don't comply.

The pro-independence coalition ruling Catalonia has vowed to hold the vote despite the prohibition and has asked the 947 mayors in the northeastern region to provide facilites for the plebiscite.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's conservative government has pledged to stop the referendum and was granted a suspension by the Constitutional Court while judges decide on its legality.

On Wednesday, the country's top prosecutor, Jose Manuel Maza, ordered provincial prosecutors to investigate 712 mayors who have already offered municipal facilities for the Oct. 1 vote and the regional Catalan police to arrest them if they don't show up for testimony. </s> MADRID (AP) - Spain's state prosecutor office says he is investigating more than 700 Catalan mayors for cooperating with a referendum on independence that has been suspended by a court, and has ordered police to arrest them if they don't comply.

The pro-independence coalition ruling Catalonia has vowed to hold the vote despite the prohibition and has asked the 947 mayors in the northeastern region to provide facilites for the plebiscite.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's conservative government has pledged to stop the referendum and was granted a suspension by the Constitutional Court while judges decide on its legality.

Family members wearing estelada or independence flags on their back walk at the end of a big rally during the Catalan National Day in Barcelona, Spain, Monday Sept. 11, 2017. Some thousands rally in Barcelona to show support for an independent Catalan nation and the right to vote in a controversial referendum that has been banned by Spain. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

On Wednesday, the country's top prosecutor, Jose Manuel Maza, ordered provincial prosecutors to investigate 712 mayors who have already offered municipal facilities for the Oct. 1 vote and the regional Catalan police to arrest them if they don't show up for testimony. </s> Spain’s top prosecutor is investigating more than 700 Catalan mayors for cooperating with a planned referendum on the region’s independence after the nation’s constitutional court ordered the vote put on hold. Catalonia’s regional police force is under orders to arrest the mayors if they refuse to appear for questioning, State Prosecutor Jose Manuel Maza’s office said.

The announcement significantly raised the stakes in an increasingly tense standoff between Catalan independence supporters and national authorities over the referendum planned for October 1.

If mayors and their municipalities cannot help organize balloting, the vote is unlikely to proceed. Maza’s order also puts regional police officers in the uneasy position of carrying out commands from Madrid in their towns and cities.

The pro-independence coalition ruling Catalonia has vowed to hold the referendum, defying a prohibition by Spain’s Constitutional Court. It has asked the 947 mayors in the northeastern region to provide voting facilities.

Maza ordered the prosecutors in Spain’s 17 provinces to investigate the 712 mayors who already have offered to provide municipal premises as polling stations.

Most of Catalonia’s mayors have said they would cooperate with the referendum. However, the willing mayors represent less than half of the region’s voting-age population.

Urban support is key for the pro-independence movement, especially the Catalan capital of Barcelona, which is home to around 20% of voters.

Barcelona mayor Ana Colau, who opposes secession but supports a vote, says she wants to help arrange the referendum but will not do so without assurances that she and her staff would be acting legally. Such assurance is unlikely to materialise, and without Barcelona’s participation, the referendum would lack legitimacy.

Spain’s prime minister Mariano Rajoy appealed to Catalans to ignore calls from independence supporters to turn out to vote. “If anyone urges you to go to a polling station, don’t go, because the referendum can’t take place, it would be an absolutely illegal act,” Rajoy said. </s> Spanish police ordered the arrest of more than 700 Catalan mayors if they don’t comply with an investigation into their cooperation with a referendum on independence that has been suspended by a court, prosecutors said.

Jose Manuel Maza, Spain’s top prosecutor, ordered provincial prosecutors Wednesday to investigate 712 mayors who have already offered municipal facilities for the Oct. 1 vote. He said regional Catalan police are to arrest them if they don’t show up for testimony.

The pro-independence coalition ruling the region managed to get enough votes to pass the referendum last week despite great opposition by other members and the Spanish government in Madrid.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s conservative government has pledged to stop the referendum. He was granted a suspension by the Constitutional court while judges decide on its legality.

The Catalan coalition has vowed to hold the vote despite being barred from doing so and has asked the 947 mayors in the northeastern region to provide facilities for the vote.

The Catalonia region, which includes Barcelona, generates a fifth of Spain’s gross domestic product. It self-governs in several important areas, such as police, health and education. But key areas such as taxes, foreign affairs and most infrastructures are in the hands of the Spanish government.

Both Catalan and Spanish are spoken in the region of 7.5 million people, and many Catalans feel strongly about their cultural heritage and traditions.

The pro-independence bloc has argued that full control would benefit Catalonia, an idea that gained support in times of high unemployment and harsh austerity measures as a result of Spain’s 2008-2013 financial crisis.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. </s> Spain's state prosecutor is investigating more than 700 Catalan mayors for cooperating with a referendum on independence that has been suspended by a court.

The prosecutor has ordered police to arrest the mayors if they do not comply.

The pro-independence coalition ruling Catalonia has vowed to hold the vote despite the prohibition and has asked the 947 mayors in the northeastern region to provide facilities for the plebiscite.

Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy's conservative government has pledged to stop the referendum and was granted a suspension by the Constitutional Court while judges decide on its legality.

The country's top prosecutor, Jose Manuel Maza, ordered provincial prosecutors to investigate 712 mayors who have already offered municipal facilities for the October 1 vote and the regional Catalan police to arrest them if they do not show up to give evidence.

Spain's prime minister has urged the people of Catalonia not to take part in a planned referendum on the region's independence that he says is unconstitutional.

Mariano Rajoy is fighting to stop the ballot and he appealed to Catalans to ignore calls from independence supporters to turn out.

Mr Rajoy said: "If anyone urges you to go to a polling station, don't go, because the referendum can't take place, it would be an absolutely illegal act."

Spanish King Felipe VI commented for the first time on the political crisis triggered by Catalonia's plan to hold a vote, saying people must respect the country's constitution, which forbids secession.

Speaking at a ceremony to award national culture prizes, Felipe said the constitution "will prevail" against any attempt to break Spain apart.

He said the rights of all Spaniards will be upheld against "whoever steps outside constitutional and statutory law". </s> MADRID: Spain’s public prosecutor on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila) ordered a criminal probe of over 700 Catalan mayors who are cooperating with an October 1 independence referendum deemed illegal by Madrid.

The move increases the pressure on Catalan officials just one day before the pro-separatist camp officially kicks off its referendum campaign in the Mediterranean port of Tarragona.

Furious at the decision to instigate a probe, Catalan municipal associations called on all the region’s mayors to protest in Barcelona on Saturday to show their “rejection of a Spanish judicial system that goes after the media, ballot papers, ballot boxes… and now mayors.”

The prosecutors’ office ordered the mayors who have agreed to help stage the vote be summoned to court as official suspects and if they do not appear to “order their arrest,”according to a copy of the ruling obtained by Agence France-Presse.

Pro-independence Catalan president Carles Puigdemont dubbed the move an “atrocity scarcely worthy of a democracy,” and said he would attend Saturday’s protest.

Catalonia’s pro-separatist government has asked the wealthy northeastern region’s 948 mayors to provide facilities for polling stations for the plebiscite.

So far 712 mostly smaller municipalities have agreed to participate, according to a list posted on the website of Catalonia’s Municipal Association for Independence (AMI) which represents 750 municipalities.

“They can arrest us! They’re crazy!,” David Rovira, the pro-separatist mayor of L’Espluga de Francoli, a town of some 3,800 residents, told Agence France-Presse by phone, adding that Madrid had “proposed nothing” to appease Catalonia’s demands for greater autonomy.

Jordi Turull, spokesman for the Catalan government, told reporters that the executive would support the region’s mayors and would “respect their decision.”

The ruling comes a day after prosecutors ordered police in Catalonia to seize ballot boxes, election flyers and any other item that could be used in the referendum.

Prosecutors have already launched an official complaint against Puigdemont and members of his government over their referendum plans, accusing them of civil disobedience, misfeasance and misappropriation of public funds—the latter carrying jail sentences of up to eight years.

And on Wednesday, the official referendum website was shut down following a court order, the Guardia Civil police force said, prompting Puigdemont to immediately tweet the address of a new website.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s conservative government has vowed to do everything in its power to stop the referendum. It argues that Spain’s 1978 constitution stipulates that regional governments cannot call an independence referendum.

Rajoy on Wednesday urged Catalans to boycott the referendum.

“If anyone urges you to go to a polling station, don’t go because the referendum can’t take place, it would be an absolutely illegal act,” he said.

Spain’s Constitutional Court has suspended a referendum law that was fast-tracked through Catalonia’s regional parliament last week but the Catalan government has vowed to go ahead with the vote nonetheless.

Catalan authorities routinely ignore the court’s decisions as they do not recognize its legitimacy. </s> TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Spain’s public prosecutor on Wednesday ordered a criminal probe of over 700 Catalan mayors who are cooperating with an October 1 independence referendum deemed illegal by Madrid.

The move increases the pressure on Catalan officials just one day before the pro-separatist camp officially kicks off its referendum campaign in the Mediterranean port of Tarragona, AFP reported.

Furious at the decision to instigate a probe, Catalan municipal associations called on all the region’s mayors to protest in Barcelona on Saturday to show their “rejection of a Spanish judicial system that goes after the media, ballot papers, ballot boxes… and now mayors”.

The prosecutors’ office ordered the mayors who have agreed to help stage the vote be summoned to court as official suspects and if they do not appear to “order their arrest”, according to a copy of the ruling.

Pro-independence Catalan president Carles Puigdemont dubbed the move an “atrocity scarcely worthy of a democracy”, and said he would attend Saturday’s protest.

Catalonia’s pro-separatist government has asked the wealthy northeastern region’s 948 mayors to provide facilities for polling stations for the plebiscite.

So far 712 mostly smaller municipalities have agreed to participate, according to a list posted on the website of Catalonia’s Municipal Association for Independence (AMI) which represents 750 municipalities.

“They can arrest us! They’re crazy!,” David Rovira, the pro-separatist mayor of L’Espluga de Francoli, a town of some 3,800 residents, told AFP by phone, adding that Madrid had “proposed nothing” to appease Catalonia’s demands for greater autonomy.

Jordi Turull, spokesman for the Catalan government, told reporters that the executive would support the region’s mayors and would “respect their decision”. </s> MADRID — The first of more than 700 mayors under investigation for supporting a planned independence referendum for Spain's northeastern region of Catalonia have appeared before prosecutors, but refused to testify.

The mayors of the small towns of Oliana, Pont de Suert and Mollerussa were greeted by supporters who shouted "we will vote" after their appearances Tuesday.

Spain's Court has ordered the Oct. 1 referendum suspended and the central government is waging myriad legal battles to halt it, claiming it is illegal.

Spanish police on Tuesday continued raids to seize documents related to the referendum.

Catalonia, which represents a fifth of Spain's 1.1-trillion-euro economy, has some 900 mayors. The mayor of the capital, Barcelona, is not under investigation.

The region's 7.5 million inhabitants are nearly evenly divided over independence.
Spanish Attorney General, José Manuel Maza, imputes 700 Catalan mayors for their role in the banned independence referendum.