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Spanish Court Dismisses Catalan Head's Lawsuit Against Rajoy Over Abuse of Power

© REUTERS / Sergio PerezSpain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy gets into his car during a lunch break in a motion of no confidence debate at Parliament in Madrid, Spain, May 31, 2018
Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy gets into his car during a lunch break in a motion of no confidence debate at Parliament in Madrid, Spain, May 31, 2018 - Sputnik International
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MADRID (Sputnik) - The Spanish Supreme Court on Monday turned down a lawsuit filed by Catalan leader Quim Torra against ex-Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and his deputy Soraya Saenz de Santamaria due to the lack of evidence to pinpoint that the alleged abuse of power took place, the court ruling said.

"The facts listed in the lawsuit do not constitute any criminal offense," the court ruling read.

The court’s decision followed the Public Prosecution Office’s recommendation to dismiss the lawsuit, based on Madrid’s right to impose direct rule over the autonomous region, as stipulated in Article 155 of the constitution. The government thereby was eligible to determine whether the Generalitat’s resolution complied with national legislation or not.

READ MORE: 'No Sense in Going on': Spain's Rajoy Quits Politics for Good

On June 1, Torra filed a lawsuit against Rajoy and his deputy over abuse of power shortly after the former prime minister lost a no-confidence vote in parliament over a corruption scandal. The regional leader accused the former government of breaking the law and violating his political rights, citing Madrid’s refusal to approve a proposed Catalan cabinet list, which included exiled and imprisoned Catalan politicians, in late May.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy gestures during a news conference after his traditional summer meeting with King Felipe at Marivent Palace in Palma, on the Spanish island of Mallorca, Spain, August 7, 2017 - Sputnik International
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The new Catalan government led by Torra officially assumed its powers after Madrid approved Torra's second cabinet list, thereby ending Madrid's direct rule over the autonomous Spanish region.

On June 8, Spain's new government lifted financial controls on the Catalan Generalitat as part of its efforts to resolve the secessionist crisis in the autonomous region.

Last year, Catalonia held an independence referendum, in which the vast majority of voters backed the region's secession from Spain. The plebiscite was not recognized by Madrid, which subsequently imposed direct rule over the region and dismissed its government.

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