The Spanish Ministry of the Interior is reported to have spied on the communications of pro-independence left-wing circles, the CDRs (Committees for the Defence of the Republic) and individuals connected to the Council for the Republic

La Directa reports that the police spying began after the 8 November 2017 general strike and continued until the first quarter of 2019. It involved device geolocation, interception of calls and SMS, use of spy software, plain-clothes officers following targets, tracking devices being planted and access to Gmail, Twitter and Facebook accounts. The actions were reportedly authorised by judges from the National High Court’s Central Examining Magistrates’ Courts such as Carmen Lamela, Manuel García Castellón and Diego de Egea, as well as prosecutors, and were carried out by the Civil Guard and National Police under the supervision of Tepol, the judicial police unit for terrorism crimes. Furthermore, with the authorisation of Manuel García-Castellón, the officers reportedly used spyware that enables screenshots to be taken of all WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal messages, as well as of calendar entries and entire contact lists. The intercepted Signal messages included communication with former Catalan president Quim Torra, MEP Toni Comín, MP in the Spanish Congress of Deputies Miriam Nogueras (Junts) and Senator Josep Maria Matamala (Junts). In February 2023, the National High Court orders Manuel García-Castellón to allow access to all elements of the proceedings of the case of espionage of the CDR and the Independentist Left.