The government of Spain has filed criminal charges against Carles Viver Pi-Sunyer, former director of the Institut d’Estudis Autonòmics (Institute of Self-Government Studies) in Barcelona. After the independence referendum held in Catalonia on October 1, 2017, and the Catalan Parliament’s declaration of independence on October 27, 2017, the government of Spain invoked Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution to take over the government of Catalonia and dismiss Catalan government officials. The institute remains open, but Viver, along with Marc Sanjaume and Pau Bossacoma, were dismissed from their institute posts. The Spanish government then filed charges of rebellion and sedition against a number of Catalan officials, including our long-time colleague Carles Viver. Read more here.
