(L) Jordi Sànchez of the Catalan National Assembly (ANC), and (R) Jordi Cuixart of Omnium Cultural | Andreu Dalmau/EPA-EFE Spanish court jails Catalan separatists pending sedition trial As Barcelona ignores a Madrid deadline to clarify its stance on independence, a Spanish court takes action.

A Spanish court ordered two Catalan separatist leaders to be jailed on Monday pending trial on charges of sedition connected to demonstrations ahead of the region's pro-independence referendum on October 1.

A Madrid court said in a statement that Jordi Sànchez of the Catalan National Assembly (ANC), and Jordi Cuixart of Omnium Cultural — the two grassroots movements that mobilized voters in the referendum for secession from Spain — should be jailed without bail because of the gravity of the charges against them.

The court statement said there was also a risk that the two accused might try to "hide, alter or destroy evidence" related to pro-independence rallies in Catalonia on September 20 and 21, where the aim of the ANC and Omnium was, according to the court, "to stop the Civil Guard" — the Spanish police.

Catalan regional President Carles Puigdemont, who organized the referendum itself, tweeted that it was "very bad news," adding that: "Sadly, we have political prisoners again." The Catalan government's foreign minister, Raül Romeva, tweeted: "Leaders of Catalonia's civil society jailed. This is how the new member of U.N. Human Rights Council responds to our offer of talks."

Earlier on Monday, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy gave Puigdemont a second and final deadline to clarify whether he had followed up on the referendum by declaring independence in a confusing session in the regional parliament. Puigdemont made a unilateral declaration of independence, but then asked the parliament to suspend it pending negotiations with Spain, which have not materialized.