Catalonia's police chief and two prominent separatist leaders avoided being remanded in custody at a court hearing Thursday over sedition accusations linked to the region's independence bid, a court source said.

Jordi Cuixart and Jordi Sanchez, leaders of Catalonia's two biggest pro-independence civil groups, and regional police chief Josep Lluis Trapero walked free from the preliminary hearing at the National Court in Madrid.

A court official told AFP the judge had ordered no custody or other cautionary measures against them pending investigation into the accusations.