Catalonia independence: Ousted Catalan vice president Oriol Junqueras arrives in Madrid for questioning

Oriol Junqueras is one of 20 regionals who appeared at the Madrid courthouse as dismissed Catalan president Carles Puigdemont refuses to return

Catalan Vice-President Oriol Junqueras (right) standing with President Carles Puigdemont in Barcelona the day after the referendum (Getty Images)

The vice-president of the ousted Catalan government has arrived in Madrid for questioning over allegations of rebellion for declaring the region's independence from Spain.

Oriol Junqueras was the first of around 20 regional officials due to appear in court on Thursday after the Spanish chief prosecutor demanded they face charges of rebellion, sedition and embezzlement after dismissed Catalan President Carles Puigdemont declared independence last week.

Mr Junqueras went in accompanied by lawyers, passing by dozens of journalists, declining to answer questions.

But Mr Puigdemont, who is currently in Belgium, said he cannot returned to Spain as the national government is intent on "vengeance" and has pledged to ignore the summons which could trigger a warrant for his arrest and extradition.

His lawyer has suggested he could testify from Brussels.

If convicted the group summoned, which includes 13 former cabinet members and six parliamentary board members, could face up to 30 years in prison.

One of those who also appeared in court included former Catalan parliament speaker Carme Forcadell who has been one of the leading figures of the pro-independence movement for many years.

Mr Puigdemont's decision to remain in Belgium, along with four of his ex-cabinet members, means he is unlikely to be able to stand in the snap regional election which is due to be held in Catalonia on 21 December.

This latest crisis began on 1st October when the Catalan government held a referendum on independence which had previously been declared illegal by a court in Madrid.

The Spanish government sent in its semi-militarised national police force, the Civil Guard, to stop the vote taking place and they were seen brutally beating people at polling stations and firing rubber bullets into the crowd.

The international community condemned the violence and 90 per cent of the people who voted opted for independence on a 40 per cent turnout. The vote was largely boycotted by the opposition who are against Catalan independence.

But the result was annulled by the Constitution Court in Madrid and Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy declared that there had been no referendum and the Catalan people had been duped into taking part in an illegal vote.

Spain's King Felipe later called for calm and denounced the Catalan separatists for an "inadmissible lack of loyalty".

On Friday, the Madrid government invoked the "nuclear option" in the Spanish constitution and declared direct rule on Catalonia until fresh elections could take place.

On the same day Mr Puigdemont officially declared Catalonia a republic, saying: "In the days ahead we must keep to our values of pacificism and dignity. It's in our, in your hands to build the republic."

​Assumptio Lailla, a former lawmaker 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 in the rebellion probe.

"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."

The supporters greeted some of the lawmakers that are being questioned Tuesday at the Supreme Court cheering and shouting: "Freedom, Freedom" and "we are not afraid."

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."

Additional reporting by AP