Carles Puigdemont is free to await a decision on extradition to Spain. The former Catalan leader became arrested last night on the Italian island of Sardinia, where he would attend a cultural festival.
His lawyer expects it to take several weeks before it is clear whether Puigdemont will be extradited to Spain. In the meantime, the Catalan is not allowed to leave the island.
Puigdemont fled Spain in 2017 after holding a referendum on Catalan independence as regional leader. The Spanish government called the plebiscite illegal and sentenced nine Catalan separatists to years in prison. Puigdemont also faces 25 years in prison on his return.
Spain has repeatedly asked for Puigdemont’s extradition, but judges in both Belgium and Germany have refused to do so. Puigdemont also enjoyed parliamentary immunity after being elected an MEP in 2019. That status became him earlier this year taken away.
Demonstrations
Puigdemont visited Sardinia because some islanders speak Catalan and have traditionally advocated for the island’s independence from Italy. After his arrest, some protesters gathered at the police station and chanted “Freedom, freedom”.
In Barcelona too, people took to the streets en masse today to show support for Puigdemont. Catalan leaders question the Spanish government’s willingness to find a compromise. “A solution can only come through a direct discussion, not through the courts.”
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