MADRID (Reuters) – Spanish police arrested a man connected to the attempted murder of the former head of Spain’s conservative People’s Party in Catalonia on Nov. 9, as reported by news website El Confidencial.
The arrested man, a Spanish national, had been under police surveillance for several days before his arrest, according to El Confidencial, citing sources close to the investigation. The police are investigating whether the man has ties to foreign countries.
While the police were not immediately able to confirm the report, Alejo Vidal-Quadras was shot in the face on a sidewalk in the wealthy neighborhood of Salamanca in central Madrid at 1:30 p.m. The gunman, wearing a helmet, fled on a motorbike.
The 78-year-old conservative politician survived the attack as the bullet passed through his jaw, but he reportedly remains in the hospital.
An anti-terrorism court is leading the investigation. The court spokesperson was not immediately available for comment.
Vidal-Quadras is the former head of the center-right People’s Party (PP) in Catalonia and a founder of Spain’s far-right Vox party. He also served as European Parliament vice-president between 2009 and 2014.
He has been a strong supporter of the Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, which attributed the attack to the Iranian regime.
(Reporting by Inti Landauro)
