Warrant for arrest of Ponsati withdrawn
● Spain drops extradition request for former Catalan politician
Spain has withdrawn the international arrest warrant for the St Andrews University academic Professor Clara Ponsati.
Prof Ponsati, a former Catalan politician, has been fighting extradition from the UK over her role in Catalonia’s independence referendum. A Spanish Supreme Court judge dropped his extradition requests for six Catalan separatist politicians wanted on rebellion charges, including Catalonia’s former regional president.
The international arrest warrant for the St Andrews University academic Professor Clara Ponsati was withdrawn by Spain yesterday.
Professor Ponsati, a former Catalan politician, has been fighting extradition from the UK over her role in Catalonia’s controversial independence referendum.
A Spanish Supreme Court judge dropped his extradition requests for six Catalan separatist politicians wanted on rebellion charges including Carles Puigdemont, Catalonia’s ex-regional president, and Prof Ponsati. Judge Pablo Llarena said he is revoking the European and international arrest warrants against the politicians.
Authorities in Madrid had been seeking Prof Ponsati on charges of violent rebellion and misappropriation of public funds following last year’s vote.
Prof Ponsati’s solicitor Aamer Anwar described the withdrawal of the arrest warrant as a “tremendous victory” for the Catalan politicians and people.
The academic, who has always denied the charges, is now expected to attend Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday for a hearing in the wake of yesterday’s decision.
But Mr Anwar warned that the battle was not over, because Prof Ponsati and her colleagues still faced nation-
al warrants meaning she remained a “political exile”.
He added: “We also wait to see the next step of the Spanish authorities as they could still reissue revised European Arrest Warrants, although this would clearly be a further example of an abuse of the treaty.”
A Scottish crowd funding drive to meet Prof Ponsati’s legal costs had raised around £270,000.
The charges are in connection with the Catalan regional government’s unauthorised referendum last year on independence from Spain and a subsequent unilateral declaration of independence by the separatist-controlled regional parliament. Prof Ponsati has been fighting the extradition charges in the Scottish courts. Her cause has been enthusiastically adopted by Scottish independence supporters.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted her support of the decision, saying: “If true, very good news that extradition proceedings have been dropped against @Claraponsati.
“Political differences should be pursued democratically not through criminal courts. Let’s hope she is now allowed to get on with her life.”