Catalan academic in court over extradition

A former Catalan education minister was greeted by flag-waving supporters as she returned to a Scottish court yesterday to continue her legal fight against extradition to Spain.

Professor Clara Ponsati is being sought by the authorities in Madrid on charges of violent rebellion and misappropriation of public funds over her role in Catalonia’s controversial independence referendum last year.

Her solicitor says she could face a total sentence of up to 33 years if she is sent to Spain and convicted of the charges, sparking fears the 61-year-old could spend the rest of her life in jail.

Aamer Anwar accused the Spanish authorities of “abusing” the European Arrest Warrant as “a tool of political repression” and claimed the country is facing “its greatest crisis since the dark days of General Franco”.

Earlier, St Andrews University academic Prof Ponsati, who “utterly refutes” the charges against her, attended a preliminary extradition hearing at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

Her legal team has now lodged its draft legal submissions ahead of a full two-week hearing set to begin at the end of July.

A further preliminary hearing was set down for 12 June, with Sheriff Nigel Ross QC saying he hoped more information on the legal arguments for both sides would be available to the court by that stage.

Further information is to be sought on the charges.