MADRID (AP) — Madrid's International Contemporary Art Fair has yanked a photo exhibition called "Political Prisoners in Contemporary Spain," prompting charges of censorship against the government-funded body which operates the event venue.

The spat comes during efforts by pro-independence groups in the northeastern Catalonia region to break away from Spain. Some Catalan political leaders and activists have been preventively jailed because of their secession bid, and their supporters claim they are political prisoners.

The ARCO fair organizers said Wednesday that IFEMA, which runs the venue, asked the exhibiting gallery to take down artist Santiago Sierra's photographs of unidentified prisoners because the controversy caused by the collection had diverted attention from the rest of the exhibits.

The artist's studio said the move damaged the international prestige of Spain and of the annual fair.