Extradition trial could call former ministers

Lawyers for Professor Clara Ponsati are looking at whether to call former Spanish government ministers to court as part of her battle against extradition.

The former Catalan education minister’s legal team confirmed they are considering citing exministers from Mariano Rajoy’s recently-ousted administration as witnesses when the full hearing into her case gets under way in Scotland later this year.

Her solicitor, Aamer Anwar, said the unnamed people could be asked to comment on “controversial comments” said to have been made about the St Andrews University academic’s case.

Mr Anwar spoke following a procedural hearing at Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday, during which it emerged that the Crown and the academic’s legal team are drawing up a list of experts to give evidence during the four-week hearing scheduled to take place in the summer.

Speaking outside court, Mr Anwar said: “We’re instructed to consider citing to our court exministers from Rajoy’s regime to expand on their controversial comments that fall within the ambit of victimisation and political persecution.”

A further procedural hearing will take place on 5 July.