Catalan leader surrenders to police
FORMER Catalan president Carles Puigdemont and four political allies have handed themselves in to police after Spain issued an international arrest warrant for them.
The ousted leader fled to Brussels after Madrid said he would be charged with rebellion, sedition, misuse of public funds and breach of trust for leading the campaign for independence from Spain.
Belgian prosecutors said all five Catalan leaders in Belgium were taken into custody yesterday morning which acted as the start of a possibly lengthy extradition process.
A judge has to decide whether to formally issue an arrest warrant on the basis of the request from the Spanish government and then a court has to decide within 15 days whether to execute the order.
Mr Puigdemont has the right of appeal at various stages of the procedure which will give him time to take a symbolic part in the December elections from Brussels. The development comes as two polls suggested that pro-Catalonia independence parties will take the most seats in December’s regional election.
However, they may fall just short of a majority needed to claim independence.
Mr Puigdemont and four of his ministers fled to Belgium shortly after Madrid imposed direct rule on Catalonia and said he would only return after being given guarantees about a fair trial.