A new crisis between Madrid and Barcelona?
"President Puigdemont was arrested on his arrival in Sardinia, where he was going as an MEP," said his lawyer Gonzalo Boye on Twitter, explaining that his arrest had taken place on the basis of an arrest warrant European Union dated October 14, 2019. The 58-year-old Catalan leader was arrested in Alghero, his chief of staff, Josep Lluis Alay, confirmed on Twitter.
“On his arrival at Alghero airport, he was arrested by the Italian border police.
Tomorrow (Friday), the president will be presented to the judges of the Court of Appeal of Sassari, which is competent to decide on his release or his extradition ”to Spain, said Mr. Alay.
The new regional president of Catalonia, Pere Aragones, a separatist, but of more moderate tendency than Mr. Puigdemont, immediately reacted on Twitter, "(strongly condemning) the persecution and this judicial repression".
" Quite.
Amnesty is the only way.
Self-determination the only solution.
By your side Carles, ”said Mr. Aragones.
🔴 Comunicat de l'Oficina del President Puigdemont: https://t.co/dcHLJLd08w#FreePuigdemont 🎗
- Carles Puigdemont (@KRLS) September 23, 2021
In Madrid, the Spanish government of socialist Pedro Sánchez expressed “its respect for the decisions of the Italian authorities and courts”.
"The arrest of Mr. Puigdemont corresponds to an ongoing legal procedure which applies to any EU citizen who must answer for his acts before the courts", said in a statement the palace of Moncloa, seat of government Spanish, adding that Mr. Puigdemont should "submit to the action of justice like any other citizen".
Parliamentary immunity of Mr Puigdemont
Independence calls to demonstrate Friday, a public holiday in Catalonia, in front of the Italian consulate in Barcelona began to circulate on social networks, while a former regional president, Quim Torra, described as "catastrophic" a possible extradition of Mr. Puigdemont towards Spain and called on the separatists to be "on maximum alert".
The arrest in Italy of Mr. Puigdemont came a week after the resumption of negotiations between the left-wing central government and the Catalan regional executive, the aim of which is to find a solution to the political crisis in Catalonia.
The European Parliament had lifted the parliamentary immunity of Mr Puigdemont and two other pro-independence MEPs on March 9 by a large majority, a measure which had been confirmed on July 30 by the EU General Court.
VIDEO.
Spain: pardoned, Catalan separatists released from prison
But the decision of the European Parliament has been the subject of an appeal whose final judgment on the merits by the EU justice must be pronounced "at a later date".
According to the interpretation of Mr. Puigdemont's lawyer, Gonzalo Boye, the decision of Parliament is therefore "suspended".
One of the worst crises in Spain since the end of the Franco dictatorship
Exiled in Belgium since the failed secession attempt of 2017 in order to escape prosecution by Spanish justice, Carles Puigdemont had not benefited from the pardon granted at the end of June to nine separatists imprisoned in Spain, the government of socialist Pedro Sánchez still wishing that he be tried in Spain. Carles Puigdemont is being prosecuted for “sedition” and “embezzlement of public funds”.
Main figure in the attempt to secede from Catalonia in 2017, Carles Puigdemont was dismissed by Madrid. He then fled to Belgium to escape Spanish justice, which in October 2019 sentenced several former members of his government team to prison for sedition. In March 2018, he was arrested for the first time at the request of Spain, in Germany this time. But he was released a few days later after the German justice dropped the charge of "rebellion" against him.
Catalonia's attempted secession in October 2017 was one of the worst crises experienced by Spain since the end of the Franco dictatorship in 1975. Despite the ban on justice, the regional government chaired by Mr. Puigdemont had organized a self-determination referendum punctuated by police violence and followed, a few weeks later, by a stillborn declaration of independence.
The Spanish government, then led by the conservatives, reacted by putting the region under trusteeship and arresting the main leaders of the movement who had not fled abroad.
