Civilian Guard Spain (division of the Spanish Ministry of Internal Affairs – approx. “Lenta.ru”) investigates the intended collaboration of the surroundings of the separatist leader Calonia Puchdemon (Carles Puigdemont) with Russian special services. This is reported by Nius Diario.
Josep Lluis Alay (Josep Lluis alay), supports the security forces, supported the connection with Catalonia to businessman Alexander Dmitrenko, whom the Justice of Spain recognized the Russian spy and deprived of Spanish citizenship. It is suspected that Russian special services thus tried to influence Catalonia attempt to separate from Spain.
According to the publication received from the investigator report to the court in Barcelona, Alai, closely communicating with Puchdemon, advised him to establish connections with Russia for the sake of contracts in the field of energy. He also offered him not to talk about the founder of the FBK (included the Ministry of Justice in the register of organizations operating the functions of a foreign agent and recognized as an extremist organization) Alexei Navalny and not express hostility to the head of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko – all for the possibility of friendly relations of Catalonia with the Russian state.
The consequence also does not exclude that people from the entourage of Puchdemon somehow are involved in the Russian-Chinese business in the field of energy, with which Dmitrenko is connected. Russian himself deals his connection with Russian intelligence and even filed an appeal to the court decision, which recognized that he collaborated with her.
In May of this year, the National Judicial Collegium of Spain ceased to investigate the intervention of Russia in the activities of separatists, begun in 2019. It became known that the whole consequence was built on the testimony of one informant.
Referendum on independence of Catalonia took place on October 1, 2017. Then more than 90 percent of those who voted spoke in favor of the exit of the region from Spain. Madrid did not recognize the outcome of the voting, the leaders of the separatists were recognized as guilty of the mute and sentenced to long prison terms. They were partially pardoned in the summer of 2021: replaced real terms for conditional.