PROSECUTORS in Germany want deposed Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont to be extradited to Spain, where he is facing charges for his role in organising last October’s independence referendum.
He was detained in Germany over a week ago as he was travelling from Finland to Belgium – where he has been in self-imposed exile – under a European Arrest Warrant issued by Spain’s supreme court.
Prosecutors in the German town of Schleswig have asked the regional court to formally put him in pre-extradition custody.
Puigdemont, 55, is facing charges of rebellion and misuse of public funds, like those levelled against University of St Andrews academic Clara Ponsati, who was Catalan education minister before she and other sacked ministers fled Catalonia after the parliament’s unilateral declaration of independence.
Schleswig prosecutors said the charge of rebellion had a German equivalent – high treason, and added: “A word-by-word match between the German and Spanish regulations is not necessary.”
They said it was also reasonable for him to be charged with misuse of public funds since the independence referendum cost more than €1.5 million (£1.3m).
The Schleswig court could take several days to decide on the prosecutors’ request.
Puigdemont's lawyers have urged the German government to intervene, citing the “political dimension” of the case.
Even if the court decides that he should be extradited, he would still be able to appeal to the country’s constitutional court, which would make a final ruling.
The German government said at the end of last month that it would not interfere or veto any court decision regarding Puigdemont, as this would be considered a “legal affront” by the federal government against the judicial system.
Prosecutors also said Puigdemont posed a flight risk and should continue to be kept in custody.
His lawyer, Jaume Alonso-Cuevillas, told Catalan radio station RAC1: “The German public prosecutor assumes the defence of the Spanish justice.
“Now the extradition process begins and that is what we were expecting, the court will now have to speak out.
“What would have been news was that the petition had not been admitted to the process.
“The court required analysis if the facts described in the euro-order are punishable in their country, not if they are true or not.”
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