Protests over ex-catalan leader’s arrest as former minister set to be detained in Scotland
Catalonia’s ex-leader Carles Puigdemont has been arrested by German police, sparking a series of fiery protests yesterday from supporters on Barcelona’s streets. His detention came as Police Scotland prepared to arrest a former Catalan minister who has returned to work at St Andrews University.
Nicola Sturgeon has said she cannot intervene to stop the arrest of a Catalan leader in Scotland who is now subject of a European Arrest warrant.
Police Scotland are seeking to arrest Clara Ponsati, who was the education minister in the Catalan government, after she returned to work at St Andrews University.
It follows a European Arrest warrant being issued against her last week. The exiled Catalan President Carles Puigdemont has already been arrested in Germany as the fallout continues from Catalonia’s declaration of independence from Spain last year.
The SNP Government has voiced its sympathy with its “sister” Catalan independence movement.
Ms Sturgeon said: “It is well established that the Scottish Government supports the right of the people of Catalonia to determine their own future and that we strongly oppose the Spanish Government’s decision to seek the arrest and imprisonment of independence supporting politicians.
“The fact that our justice system is legally obliged to follow due process in the determination of extradition requests does not change those views.”
Under the Extradition Act 2003, Scottish Ministers have no role in the determination of European Arrest Warrants.
The First Minister added: “Our police, prosecution service and courts are independent and are legally obliged under this UK legislation to fulfil their responsibilities. Scottish Ministers have no powers to intervene in this process.
“However, the legal process includes the right of any individual subject to proceedings under the 2003 Act to oppose their extradition in the courts and it is vital that the integrity of this process is protected. For that reason the Scottish Government will not comment further at this stage.”
Police Scotland have now confirmed they are in possession of the warrant.
A police statement said: “We have made a number of enquiries to try to trace her and have now been contacted by her solicitor, who is making arrangements for Ms Ponsati to hand herself into police.”
Mr Puigdemont, who is wanted in Spain for sedition and rebellion, was held crossing from Denmark on the way to Belgium. He had been living in self-imposed exile in Belgium since Catalonia’s parliament unilaterally declared independence from Spain in October.
Carles Puigdemont – the fugitive ex-leader of Catalonia and ardent separatist – will appear in court today after being arrested by German police on an international warrant as he tried to enter the country from Denmark.
Mr Puigdemont was on his way back to Belgium where he has been staying since fleeing Spain following a failed bid by his regional government in October to declare independence from Spain.
His detention triggered alarming scenes in downtown Barcelona as angry Catalans clashed with police at the arrest of their fugitive former leader.
Police dressed in riot gear struck demonstrators with batons as they tried to push back a large crowd that wanted to advance on the office of the Spanish government’s representative in Catalonia.
Thousands had answered the call by a pro-independence grassroots group to protest in the city centre. Three people were arrested and 52 people were injured in the clashes.
The Spanish government said it had received “official confirmation from German authorities of the arrest” of Mr Puigdemont yesterday in response to the warrant issued by Spain’s Supreme Court.
The spanish state prosecutor said it was in contact with its German counterparts to carry out its request to extradite Mr Puigdemont to Spain where he faces charges, including rebellion, that could put him in prison for up to 30 years.
German traffic police arrested Mr Puigdemont yesterday morning near the A7 highway that leads into Germany.
The Schleswig prosecutor’s office said in a statement the court will today check if the handover of Mr Puigdemont to Spanish authorities was “legally permissible.”
Mr Puigdemont, 55, is a former mayor of Girona who was thrust to the forefront of Catalonia’s independence push when he was hand picked by predecessor Artur Mas to become regional president in 2016.
He withstood intense political pressure from Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and Spain’s courts as he piloted the secession bid.
Spain was plunged into its worst political crisis in three decades when Mr Puigdemont’s government flouted a court ban and held an ad-hoc referendum on independence for the northeastern region in October.
The Catalan parliament’s subsequent declaration of independence received no international recognition and provoked a takeover of the regional government by Spanish authorities they say will not be lifted until a new government that respects the Constitution is in place.