Academic row over Ponsati support
Dozens of leading Spanish academics have slammed the head of St Andrews University over her support for exiled Catalan leader Clara Ponsatí.
In a letter to the St Andrews principal Professor Sally Mapstone, they accuse of her “encouraging” protests against the Spanish judiciary and claim the Catalan Nationalist movement was behind “shocking” violence during last year’s independence referendum.
Professor Ponsatí, who teaches economics at St Andrews, is now subject to an extradition request by the Spanish authorities over her role in the former Catalan regional government and its declaration of independence from Spain last year. She was cheered by hundreds of supporters in Edinburgh last week after appearing in court to fight extradition.
Dozens of academics, mainly from Spanish universities and some in the UK, have raised questions over Prof Mapstone’s support for the Catalan leader, who returned to her role at St Andrews after the collapse of the Catalan regime.
Prof Mapstone claimed last week there were “legitimate arguments” that Prof Ponsatí was being targeted for her political beliefs and voiced concern over the motives behind the extradition request.
But the academics’ letter hits out at the “misconceptions regarding both Spain and the Spanish judiciary”. It states: “It is important to remember that Ms Ponsatí escaped to Belgium from Spain following the illegal ‘unilateral declaration of independence’ by her regional government.
“That is, not because of political ideas expressed democratically, but because of a series of acts destined to separate Catalonia from Spain against the law and the wishes of its citizens.”
The legitimacy of the spanish judiciary has been endorsed by the International Association Judges (IAJ), the letter adds, even following the “illegal referendum” organised by the Catalans.
“The violence of the Catalan Nationalists has been documented elsewhere and it makes shocking reading,” the letter adds.
“On the basis of the above, we, the undersigned, demand that Spanish authorities and its citizens are shown the respect that they are due.
“You are no doubt aware that your accusations against the Spanish judiciary are encouraging your own students to rally against Spanish judges.”
The academics have accused the Nationalist regime in Catalonia of acting illegally in the events surrounding the declaration of independence from Spain and insist the UK authorities would have intersor vened if the Scottish Parliament had acted in a similarly unlawful way.
Among the dozens of academics who have signed the open letter are Alfonso Valero (principal lecturer, Nottingham Law School, Nottingham Trent University), Ángel J. Sánchez Navarro (profes2017, of constitutional law at Universidad Complutense de Madrid) and Federico A. Castillo Blanco (professor of public law at the University of Granada).
A spokesman for the University of St Andrews said: “It is not our place to say whether or not we agree with those arguments, but it is certainly the case that they exist and quite properly should be tested in public debate and through the legal process.”
Supporters of Prof Ponsatí have raised nearly a quarter of a million pounds to help her fight extradition.