A judge in Madrid has ordered eight members of the deposed Catalan government to be remanded in custody pending possible charges over last week’s declaration of independence, while Spanish prosecutors are seeking a European arrest warrant for the region’s ousted president, Carles Puigdemont.

On Thursday afternoon, a judge at Spain’s national court jailed the eight former ministers - including Puigdemont’s deputy, Oriol Junqueras - while they are investigated on possible charges of sedition, rebellion and misuse of public funds.

A ninth, who resigned the day before the Catalan parliament voted to declare independence last Friday, can remain at liberty on bail of €50,000, The Guardian said.

Puigdemont, who is in Brussels, had been summoned to attend Spain’s national court to give evidence on Thursday and Friday.

In a written request to Judge Carmen Lamela of the national court, prosecutors said that Puigdemont and the others were aware that they had been ordered to testify, but had chosen not to attend.