The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Spanish case on Ponsati ‘abuse of process’
Spanish authorities are “guilty of an abuse of process” in their attempts to extradite a former Catalan education minister, her lawyer has said.
Solicitor Aamer Anwar said the European arrest warrant issued for his client Professor Clara Ponsati was a “grotesque distortion of the truth” following a court hearing on her extradition.
Prof Ponsati faces charges of violent rebellion and misappropriation of public funds over her role in Catalonia’s independence referendum.
Her legal team told Edinburgh Sheriff Court the extradition would be fought on several grounds including the validity of the warrant
“We seek to challenge the validity of the warrant”
and Prof Ponsati’s human rights. A further procedural hearing has been fixed for May 15.
Speaking outside the court, Mr Anwar said: “We advised the court that we intend to fight the extradition on many grounds including fundamentally that the Spanish authorities are guilty of an abuse of process.
“We seek to challenge the validity of the warrant as the facts do not show that any offence has been committed by Clara Ponsati. The crime of violent rebellion does not exist in the law of Scotland. We will argue that the warrant has been issued for the purpose of prosecuting Clara for her political opinions.”