Catalan professor vows to fight extradition to Spain

A FORMER Catalan minister facing extradition to Spain was bailed yesterday after handing herself in to police.

St Andrews University professor Clara Ponsati appeared from custody at Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday. She went to police voluntarily in response to a European Arrest Warrant issued by Spain.

The Spanish authorities want to try her on a charge of sedition – inciting people to resist or rebel against a government.

It relates to Catalonia’s 2017 independence referendum, which the Spanish state deemed illegal and refused to sanction. Professor Ponsati, 62, was then education minister in the Catalan government.

If extradited and convicted, she could face up to 15 years in jail. The Supreme Court in Spain this year sentenced nine Catalan nationalist politicians to 100 years between them.

Outside court, Miss Ponsati’s lawyer Aamer Anwar said: ‘Clara submits that she should not extradited for a show trial in the Supreme Court where she believes the only verdict would be one of guilt.

‘We are instructed by Clara to robustly defend her from what she describes as judicially motivated revenge.

Miss Ponsati was bailed to appear at a further hearing next month.