Status: 04.10.2021 6:23 p.m.
In Spain, the Catalan separatist Puigdemont faces a long prison sentence. But a court in Sardinia postponed the extradition procedure. The judges want to wait for a judgment from the European Court of Justice.
The Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont will not be extradited from Italy to Spain for the time being. An appeals court in Sassari, Sardinia decided to suspend the arrest warrant against the politician for the time being.
In their judgment, the judges pointed out that it was currently not clear whether Puigdemont would enjoy immunity as a member of the European Union. The court in Sardinia wants the EU judges to first clarify whether a penalty order from Madrid against him is even legal.
Puigdemont is allowed to move freely
In March, the European Parliament lifted Puigdemont’s immunity. However, he appealed to the European Court of Justice (ECJ). Last Friday, he made an urgent motion to restore parliamentary immunity. The judgment on sardines was therefore postponed pending a decision by the ECJ. Both the public prosecutor and the defense of Puigdemont had requested this. As before, the politician can continue to travel freely in Europe.
Puigdemont was arrested a week ago on his arrival in Sardinia because a European arrest warrant had been issued against him in Spain in 2019. He was released on September 26th after one night in unconditional detention. Last Monday he temporarily returned to Brussels to attend a committee meeting in the EU Parliament. But he had promised to return to Sardinia and face the Italian judiciary. However, he came back to today’s hearing as announced.
Charge of riot
Puigdemont was the leader in Catalonia’s controversial independence referendum in 2017. After his dismissal by the central government in Madrid, he went into exile in Belgium in October 2017 to avoid prosecution in Spain. The Spanish judiciary is still trying to bring him to trial for “riot” and “misappropriation of public funds”.
The separatist leader isn’t the only top Catalan politician to flee the Spanish judiciary. The former Minister of Education of Catalonia, Clara Ponsati, and the former Minister of Health Toni Comin were also able to leave for Belgium in 2017.
Like Puigdemont, they are members of the EU Parliament and their immunity has also been lifted. Since they were also traveling to Sardinia to support Puigdemont, the Spanish Supreme Court urged them to be surrendered to Spain.