Judge frees six Catalan separatists as four face Brussels extradition hearing

A Spanish judge has ordered the release of six Catalan politicians but upheld the jailing of two separatist activists and two other prominent members of the regional government ousted more than a month ago amid an unprecedented independence bid.

Magistrate Pablo Llarena, at the Supreme Court in Madrid, ordered ousted Catalan vice president Oriol Junqueras, former regional interior minister Joaquim Forn and the leaders of two Catalan grassroots separatist groups to remain in jail without bail.