Arrest of Catalan ex-president in Germany of no concern to the European Commission

Arrest of Catalan ex-president in Germany of no concern to the European Commission

Former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont was arrested on Sunday by German police at the border with Denmark. He had arrived by car from a visit to Finland and was on his way to Belgium when a European arrest warrant was reactivated by Spain. Last Friday, a Spanish Supreme Court judge indicted 25 pro-independence officials and issued European arrest warrants for six leaders abroad, including Puigdemont.

His Belgian lawyer Paul Bekaert said that Puigdemont should be conditionally released, as was the case in Belgium, pending a decision on the merits of the arrest warrant issued against him. German justice must decide within 48 hours whether he should be released.

But his Spanish lawyer fears that his detention in Germany will be extended. He says that Puigdemont will not apply for asylum in Germany.

At today’s press briefing in Brussels, a spokesperson for the European Commission declined to comment on whether a call by Commission vice-president Frans Timmermans last year for dialogue to solve the Catalan issue had failed. He also declined to comment on an individual case, such as the execution of the European arrest warrant against Puigdemont.

The Commission adheres to its position that it is an internal Spanish constitutional issue.

The Brussels Times

 


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