A Spanish judge has ordered nine ex-members of the government in Catalonia jailed while they are investigated on possible charges of sedition, rebellion and embezzlement.
Investigative magistrate Carmen Lamela issued the ruling on Thursday at the request of prosecutors who are pursuing a criminal case stemming from the declaration of secession the Parliament of Catalonia made on Friday.
The judge set bail for one of the nine former members of theCatalan Cabinet, saying he would be freed if he pays 50,000 euro (£44,000).
Carles Puigdemont, the former president of Catalonia, and four other ex-Cabinet members are in Belgium and ignored court summonses to appear for questioning.
The Spanish government invoked constitutional authority last week to take over running Catalonia following the region's declaration of independence.
Madrid dismissed the Catalan Cabinet, dissolved the parliament and called a new election for December 21.
A prosecutor has also asked the National Court judge to issue an international arrest warrant for ousted president Mr Puigdemont and four of his ex-ministers.
The National Court has been questioning ousted Catalangovernment members but a parallel Supreme Court session for six Catalan politicians was postponed for a week.
About two dozen politicians and elected officials fromCatalan separatist parties gathered at the gates of the Supreme Court.
"If the question is if in Spain you can trust the judicial system, my answer is no," said Artur Mas, a former president of the Catalan government.
"From the personal point of view and also for my personal experience, I don't think that there are all the guarantees to have a fair trial."
Earlier this year, Mr Mas was banned by a Barcelona court from holding public office for two years after he ignored a Constitutional Court ruling and went ahead with a mock vote on Catalonia's independence in 2014.
Assumpcio Lailla, a former official with Catalonia's Democrats party, said she had travelled to Madrid joining around 100 other politicians and elected officials to show support to those investigated.
"This is an unjust situation in which they are being investigated for facilitating democracy," she said. "I don't understand how Europe can look away from democracy."
Across the street, half a dozen protesters with Spanish flags were stopped by police. They shouted at the Catalan politicians, "cowards" and "to jail, to jail".
In Barcelona, thousands of people rallied outside the presidential palace in Sant Jaume Square at noon to show their support, clapping and chanting slogans in favour of independence.
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