Dropping extradition request shows ‘weakness’ of legal case, says Puigdemont

Carles Puigdemont has said that the withdrawal of the request to extradite him is "evidence of the weakness" of Spain’s legal case against pro-independence leaders. 

 

Reacting on Twitter shortly after learning he will not be extradited to Spain after the Supreme Court rejected the decision of the German court handling his case, Puigdemont tweeted, "today is a day to demand more forcefully than ever the release of the political prisoners."

 

"Revoking their preemptive prison would show that the Spanish judiciary is starting to act like those in Europe," he added. 

 

The Catalan leader is now expected to leave Germany and return to Belgium in the next few days. 

 

On Thursday, Spain’s Supreme Court withdrew extradition requests for Puigdemont and the other five exiled pro-independence leaders facing European and International arrest warrants in different places in Europe. 

 

Last week, the German court of Schleswig-Holstein accepted the extradition request for the former Catalan president, but only for the misuse of public funds and not for the charge of rebellion.

Some of the other exiled officials involved in the decision also took sides.

For the former Agriculture minister, Meritxell Serret, the withdrawal of the European arrest warrants is "a great victory." "What I regret is that they are keeping with a series of accusations when there are judges who consider there is no base to keep them," she said.

Like Puigdemont, Serret also demanded the release of the nine jailed officials."It makes no sense that our colleagues continue incarcerated," said Serret, who lives in Brussels and is now the Catalan government delegate in the country.  

The former Culture minister, Lluís Puig, in the same situation as her, said Puigdemont's likely return to Belgium will make their project towards the Catalan republic stronger.

Puigdemont and the other exiled leaders plan to set up the so-called Council for the Republic to help the pro-independence cause go International.

Toni Comín, former Catalan Health minister, also believes this is a "great victory." He said, "truth, justice and democracy" have won.