The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Academic vows to fight Spanish extradition bid
Scotland-based professor sought by authorities refutes the charges against her
A former Catalan minister has described charges against her as politically motivated and “a grotesque distortion of the truth” as she embarked on a legal fight to avoid extradition to Spain.
Professor Clara Ponsati’s lawyer spoke of her disbelief that she is “being held responsible” by the Spainish authorities for the violence that broke out on the day of Catalonia’s controversial independence referendum last year.
Scotland-based Professor Ponsati, the ex-Catalan education minister, is being sought by the authorities in Madrid on charges of violent rebellion and misappropriation of public funds over her role in the 2017 vote.
She “robustly” denies the charges against her, contained in an extradition warrant from the Spanish Supreme Court, and does not consent to being extradited.
The academic was released on bail yesterday after appearing from custody at a brief hearing at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, which came just hours after she handed herself in to Scottish police.
Speaking outside court, Prof Ponsati’s lawyer Aamer Anwar said: “The 52-page warrant included the crimes of rebellion – punishable by up to 25 years in prison – as well as the crime of misappropriation of public funds, punishable with up to eight years’ imprisonment.
“Clara wishes for me to state that these charges are politically motivated and a grotesque distortion of the truth.
“She cannot believe that she’s being held responsible for the violence that took place on the day of the referendum.
“She believes that the Catalan people tried to express a democratic right to decide their own destiny and the only people that should be held responsible for the brutal violence was the Spanish police and the 6,000 state security forces who attacked the Catalan people on behalf of the Spanish Government.”
Prof Ponsati attended St Leonard’s police station in Edinburgh voluntarily yesterday morning after she was made the subject of a European arrest warrant last week. She was placed under arrest and formally had the European arrest warrant read to her.
The subsequent court hearing before Sheriff Nigel Ross lasted less than 10 minutes, with a number of her supporters in the packed court room and many more outside. Advocate Claire Mitchell, for Prof Ponsati, told the court there will be a question raised over “the validity of the warrant”.
Prof Ponsati was granted bail and asked to surrender her passport.
Her case will return to court on April 12 for a preliminary hearing.