Carles Puigdemont returns free, without any precautionary measures, and still mock Spain. Arrested on Thursday evening at Alghero airport, just off a flight from Belgium, the former president of Catalonia spent the night in the Bancali prison in Sassari, where today he attended the hearing to validate the arrest that took place on an international mandate requested by the Spanish judiciary. But the Sassari Court of Appeal has decided on his release without any restrictions: the Catalan leader is therefore also free to leave Italy, despite the hearing to decide extradition to Spain has been set for 4 October. If he does not appear and is not even on Italian territory, as probable, the court will have to dismiss the case with a non-place to proceed. "Spain never misses an opportunity to appear ridiculous! ", Tweeted Puigdemont as soon as he was released from prison.
Besieged by the press and greeted by the ovation of a hundred Sardinian supporters and Catalan separatists who are in Sardinia for the same event that brought him to the island, the international festival of Catalan popular culture Adifolk, the former president has not released declarations and limited himself to a greeting before getting into the car with the president of the region, Christian Solinas, and the president of the regional council, Michele Pais, headed to Alghero. While considering the arrest of the leader who led Catalonia to the controversial referendum on independence on October 1, 2017, the judge of the Court of Appeal of Sassari, Plinia Azzena, has ruled that there is no reason to apply any precautionary measure. ,accepting the request to that effect from the attorney general Gabriella Pintus. In a very intricate judicial as well as political affair, Spain continues to invoke his extradition for the crimes of "subversion" and "embezzlement of public funds" accused by the former president of the Generalitat for organizing that referendum, which Madrid denied it, also marked by the violence of the Spanish police. "It is clear that Carles Puigdemont must present himself and make himself available to justice," Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said in the morning from the island of La Palma, where he is due to the emergency of the ongoing volcanic eruption. Pressed by journalists, the socialist leader limited himself to recalling that in 2017 in Madrid thereit was another government (that of the popular Mariano Rajoy), to reiterate that its executive "respects" the decisions of the judiciary and to underline in this crucial phase for the country that "dialogue with Catalonia is more necessary than ever". Especially for the survival of his government.
However, the affair remains a judicial headache because in the meantime Puigdemont was elected to the European parliament in 2019, but last March the same parliament revoked the parliamentary immunity of him and two other Catalan separatists. Revocation confirmed by the Court of Luxembourg on 30 July last with an order that let it be understood that the European arrest warrant could not be executed by other Member States, so much so that the Catalan leader last summer spent some time in France at the border with Catalonia. But the Spanish Supreme Court considers the arrest warrant still "in force", explaining that "it has never been canceled". An issue that now seems to have returned to its starting point with Puigdemont free to leave Italy, return to Belgium,come and go for Europe. Meanwhile, the European Commission maintains the same neutrality: "This is a matter for the judicial authorities and we respect their independence," said a spokesman for the Commission, responding to journalists asking for comment. Even in Italy, the story has aroused reactions. The League had risen in the morning asking for his release: "I hope that Italy is not the protagonist of justice or revenge at the request of other countries", said Matteo Salvini. While Undersecretary Franco Gabrielli had explained that Italy could not escape from executing a European arrest warrant, while admitting that it was "obvious" that these are "situations that, after all, we would never prefer to deal with".Europe. Meanwhile, the European Commission maintains the same neutrality: "This is a matter for the judicial authorities and we respect their independence," said a spokesman for the Commission, responding to journalists asking for comment. Even in Italy, the story has aroused reactions. The League had risen in the morning asking for his release: "I hope that Italy is not the protagonist of justice or revenge at the request of other countries", said Matteo Salvini. While Undersecretary Franco Gabrielli had explained that Italy could not escape from executing a European arrest warrant, while admitting that it was "obvious" that these are "situations that, after all, we would never prefer to deal with".Europe. Meanwhile, the European Commission maintains the same neutrality: "This is a matter for the judicial authorities and we respect their independence," said a spokesman for the Commission, responding to journalists asking for comment. Even in Italy, the story has aroused reactions. The League had risen in the morning asking for his release: "I hope that Italy is not the protagonist of justice or revenge at the request of other countries", said Matteo Salvini. While Undersecretary Franco Gabrielli had explained that Italy could not escape from executing a European arrest warrant, while admitting that it was "obvious" that these are "situations that, after all, we would never prefer to deal with".Meanwhile, the European Commission maintains the same neutrality: "This is a matter for the judicial authorities and we respect their independence," said a spokesman for the Commission, responding to journalists asking for comment. Even in Italy, the story has aroused reactions. The League had risen in the morning asking for his release: "I hope that Italy is not the protagonist of justice or revenge at the request of other countries", said Matteo Salvini. While Undersecretary Franco Gabrielli had explained that Italy could not escape from executing a European arrest warrant, while admitting that it was "obvious" that these are "situations that, after all, we would never prefer to deal with".Meanwhile, the European Commission maintains the same neutrality: "This is a matter for the judicial authorities and we respect their independence," said a spokesman for the Commission, responding to journalists asking for comment. Even in Italy, the story has aroused reactions. The League had risen in the morning asking for his release: "I hope that Italy is not the protagonist of justice or revenge at the request of other countries", said Matteo Salvini. While Undersecretary Franco Gabrielli had explained that Italy could not escape from executing a European arrest warrant, while admitting that it was "obvious" that these are "situations that, after all, we would never prefer to deal with".a question that concerns the judicial authorities and we respect their independence ", said a spokesman for the Commission, responding to journalists who asked for a comment. Even in Italy, the affair has aroused reactions. The League rose up in the morning asking for his release:" I hope that Italy is not the protagonist of justice or sold at the request of other countries ", said Matteo Salvini. While Undersecretary Franco Gabrielli explained that Italy could not escape from executing a European arrest warrant, while admitting as if it were "obvious" that these are "situations that, after all, we would never prefer to deal with".a question that concerns the judicial authorities and we respect their independence ", said a spokesman for the Commission, responding to journalists who asked for a comment. Even in Italy, the affair has aroused reactions. The League rose up in the morning asking for his release:" I hope that Italy is not the protagonist of justice or sold at the request of other countries ", said Matteo Salvini. While Undersecretary Franco Gabrielli explained that Italy could not escape from executing a European arrest warrant, while admitting as if it were "obvious" that these are "situations that, after all, we would never prefer to deal with".a spokesman for the commission said in response to reporters asking for comment. Even in Italy, the story has aroused reactions. The League had risen in the morning asking for his release: "I hope that Italy is not the protagonist of justice or revenge at the request of other countries", said Matteo Salvini. While Undersecretary Franco Gabrielli had explained that Italy could not escape from executing a European arrest warrant, while admitting that it was "obvious" that these are "situations that, after all, we would never prefer to deal with".a spokesman for the commission said in response to reporters asking for comment. Even in Italy, the story has aroused reactions. The League had risen in the morning asking for his release: "I hope that Italy is not the protagonist of justice or revenge at the request of other countries", said Matteo Salvini. While Undersecretary Franco Gabrielli had explained that Italy could not escape from executing a European arrest warrant, while admitting that it was "obvious" that these are "situations that, after all, we would never prefer to deal with".Italy to become the protagonist of justice or sell it at the request of other countries ", said Matteo Salvini. While Undersecretary Franco Gabrielli explained that Italy could not escape from executing a European arrest warrant, even admitting that it was" obvious " whether they are "situations that, after all, we would never prefer to deal with".Italy to become the protagonist of justice or sell it at the request of other countries ", said Matteo Salvini. While Undersecretary Franco Gabrielli explained that Italy could not escape from executing a European arrest warrant, even admitting that it was" obvious " whether they are "situations that, after all, we would never prefer to deal with".