Catalonia
On 27 October 2017, Catalonia declared independence from Spain after a vote in Parliament, but that was not recognised by the international community. The Spanish Senate voted in favour of direct rule. It removed the Catalan government and called a snap regional election. The Spanish Supreme Court imprisoned seven former ministers of the Catalan government on charges of rebellion and misuse of public funds. Several others—including then-President Carles Puigdemont—fled to other European countries.