Catalan independentist Carles Puigdemont returns to Brussels after his arrest in Italy

Catalan independence leader Carles Puigdemont, prosecuted in Spain for his role in the attempted secession of Catalonia in 2017, landed in Brussels on Monday September 27 after being briefly arrested in Italy, his lawyer told AFP.

Read also Carles Puigdemont's first steps in the European Parliament

"

" to attend a court hearing next Monday on his extradition demanded by Spain, Gonzalo Boye said in a message.

Based in Belgium, where he fled in 2017 to escape prosecution by Spanish justice, the 58-year-old former Catalan regional president was arrested Thursday evening upon his arrival at Alghero airport, on the Italian island, where he was to participate in the Catalan festival Adifolk.

He was released on Friday evening after pledging to return to Sardinia for the extradition hearing.

Prosecuted by Spanish justice

MEP since 2019, Puigdemont had indicated on Saturday that he had to return to Brussels to attend a meeting of the European Parliament's foreign trade committee, of which he is a member. Spanish justice accuses Puigdemont of “

” and “

” for his role in the 2017 secession attempt, one of the worst crises experienced by Spain since the end of the Franco dictatorship in 1975. Despite the ban on justice, his regional government then organized a self-determination referendum followed, a few weeks later, by a stillborn declaration of independence.

Madrid reacted by removing Puigdemont, putting the region under control and arresting the main leaders of the independence movement who had not fled abroad. In March 2018, the Catalan leader had already been arrested for the first time at the request of Spain, in Germany this time. But he was released a few days later. As a MEP, Puigdemont benefited for a time from parliamentary immunity but the European Parliament lifted it on March 9 by a large majority. This measure was confirmed on July 30 by the General Court of the European Union.

However, the European Parliament's decision is the subject of an appeal, the final judgment on the merits of which by the EU courts is due at a later date.

His lawyers therefore consider that Parliament's decision is "

", as is the application of the arrest warrant, and that their client must still benefit from his immunity.