Catalan ex-leader Puigdemont freed temporarily in Sardinia

SASSARI – Catalonia's erstwhile separatist person Carles Puigdemont walked retired of a Sardinian courthouse Monday aft a justice delayed a determination connected Spain's extradition petition and said helium was escaped to travel.

Puigdemont near with his lawyers, shook hands and embraced supporters, saying helium was "very happy," arsenic helium got successful a van and was whisked away. He past said connected societal media that helium would enactment successful the afternoon’s league of the European Parliament by video nexus from the Mediterranean island.

His Italian lawyer, Agostinangelo Marras, told reporters that a determination connected extradition to Spain, wherever helium is accused of sedition, is pending decisions connected 2 questions already being considered by European courts. But helium said his lawsuit is escaped to question arsenic helium pleases successful the meantime.

“He is perfectly free. The tribunal volition acceptable a caller day aft the European tribunal decides connected the 2 pending questions. One is the immunity of President Piugdemont, and the different is the legitimacy of the Spanish justice to contented the apprehension warrant,″ Piugdemont’s Italian lawyer, Agostinoangelo Marras, told The Associated Press.

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The Italian tribunal archetypal wants to spot however the European Union’s wide tribunal volition regularisation connected Puigdemont's entreaty to the lifting of his immunity arsenic a European Parliament subordinate that this aforesaid tribunal confirmed successful July. Secondly, the Italian tribunal volition hold to spot if the European Union Court of Justice rules that the Spanish Supreme Court has the authorization to petition the extradition of Puigdemont, aft a Belgian tribunal said successful January that it didn't erstwhile it requested the instrumentality of different subordinate of Puigdemont.

Puigdemont was arrested connected Sept. 23 successful Sardinia, wherever helium had arrived from his location successful Belgium to be a Catalan taste festival astatine the invitation of a Sardinian separatist movement. He was freed by a justice a time aboriginal pending Monday’s extradition hearing.

Puigdemont and chap separatists Clara Ponsatí and Toni Comín had their immunity arsenic European Parliament members lifted earlier this twelvemonth arsenic requested by Spain aft the European Union’s wide tribunal said that they didn't show they were astatine hazard of being arrested.

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Ponsatí and Comín were among a contingent of high-profile separatists who traveled to Sardinia to amusement their enactment for Puigdemont connected Monday, triggering a petition sent by a Spanish justice to Italy to person them detained arsenic well. There was nary contiguous denotation they had been taken into custody.

A radical of astir 20 supporters rallied extracurricular the courthouse arsenic Puigdemont arrived for the hearing. Some members of the assemblage shouted “freedom!” and waved Catalan separatist flags.

Puigdemont, 58, has successfully avoided extradition since taking up residence successful Waterloo, Belgium, aft starring an amerciable 2017 secession effort by the affluent Catalonia portion successful Spain’s northeast.

After a Belgian tribunal declined to nonstop him backmost successful 2017, the pursuing twelvemonth helium was arrested successful Germany but a tribunal determination besides refused to extradite him.

Several of his cohorts who stayed successful Barcelona were arrested and recovered blameworthy of sedition and misusing nationalist funds.

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In an effort to defuse the governmental situation helium inherited from his blimpish predecessor, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez pardoned 9 imprisoned separatist leaders successful June. Puigdemont, and others similar him who fled, couldn't payment from the enactment of grace since they person yet to look justice.

The detention of Puigdemont 2 weeks agone comes with the erstwhile determination president struggling to clasp his preeminent relation successful the Catalonia separatist movement, which has surged successful popularity implicit the past 2 decades.

Puigdemont’s enactment has mislaid the determination presidency of Catalonia and is present the insignificant subordinate of a conjugation led by a separatist rival which is starring talks with Sánchez’s authorities to resoluteness the festering crisis. Puigdemont’s enactment isn't participating successful the negotiations which its leaders person criticized arsenic a distraction from rebuilding spot for different unilateral secession bid.

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“While immoderate are trying to speech with the Spanish government, determination are others similar Puigdemont who are undermining the institutions of the state,” said Jordi Puigneró, the starring subordinate of Puigdemont’s enactment successful Catalonia’s government.

Despite already enjoying a bully grade of self-rule, polls and predetermination results amusement that astir fractional of Catalans privation to signifier a caller state. The different fractional wants to stay successful Spain fixed the centuries of taste and household ties linking Catalonia with the remainder of the country.

The bulk of Spaniards are against the nonaccomplishment of Catalonia, which for decades has represented a onshore of accidental for those who moved determination from poorer regions.

Sardinia has historical and taste ties with Catalonia that day backmost to the 14th century.

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Colleen Barry reported from Milan, and Joseph Wilson from Barcelona, Spain.

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