Catalonia’s former leader Carles Puigdemont surrenders to police
Puigdemont and four other former officials turned themselves in, will only return to Spain if guaranteed fair trial
5 November 2017, 3:17pm
Massimo Costa
Massimo Costa
The sacked Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont has turned himself in to police in Belgium (Photo: the Indian Express)
Carles Puigdemont, Catalonia’s unseated leader, and four ex-advisers have surrendered to Belgian police this afternoon.
A spokesperson for the prosecution said that a judge would decide by tomorrow morning whether an EU arrest warrant issued by Spain would be exectued.
Puigdemont had fled to Belgium following Madrid’s imposition of direct rule on Catalonia after an independence referendum.
He and the four associates are being charged with rebellion, sedition, misuse of public funds, breach of trust and disobedience.
He had maintained he would only return to Spain if he was guaranteed a fair trial.
Massimo Costa joined MaltaToday as a journalist in 2017.
