His lawyer announced on Thursday that Carlos Puigdemont, a separatist member of the European Parliament and former president of Catalonia, had been deported to Belgium since 2017 after Catalonia’s secession attempt in the same year and was arrested in Italy on Thursday.
“President Puigdemont was arrested shortly after his arrival in Sardinia, for which he went on to become a member of the European Parliament,” lawyer Gonzalo Boe wrote on Twitter, adding that he was arrested on the basis of a European arrest warrant dated October 14, 2019.
The Catalan leader was arrested in Alghero, his chief adviser Joseph Luis Alli wrote on Twitter.
“When Alghero arrived at the airport, he was detained by police at the Italian border. Today (Friday) President Zachary will appear before the judges of the Court of Appeal,” Alli said.
On March 9, the European Parliament lifted the parliamentary ban on Puigdemont and two pro-secession MEPs, which was upheld by the European Court of Justice on 30 July.
Puigdemont has been living in Belgium since 2017 to escape a Spanish case. He has been charged with “inciting treason” and “embezzling public funds.”
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