The trial began in Madrid this week against the leaders of Catalonia’s independence movement, who face up to 25 years in jail if found guilty. The semi-autonomous Catalonia region, whose capital is Barcelona, attempted to declare independence from Spain in 2017 but Madrid imposed direct rule and arrested its political leaders. As Henry Ridgwell reports, the trial risks reopening wounds that threatened to tear Spain apart, and the prospect of an imminent snap election is adding to the tension.
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