Deposed minister hands herself in to Scottish Police

Campaign to finance her defence raises more than double target amount in a few hours

Deposed Catalan minister Clara Ponsatí hands herself in to the Scottish Police (by Reuters)
Deposed Catalan minister Clara Ponsatí hands herself in to the Scottish Police (by Reuters) / ACN

ACN | Barcelona

March 28, 2018 12:50 PM

Deposed Catalan minister Clara Ponsatí has handed herself in to the Scottish Police on Wednesday in Edinburgh. She is to testify before court the same day in the afternoon. Ponsatí's move comes after the Spanish judiciary issued a European arrest warrant against her, as well as against all the Catalan officials abroad. The Spanish judiciary body requested their extradition to Spain, where they would be tried on their role in Catalonia’s push for independence.

Her lawyer, Aamer Anwar, said that the deposed Catalan minister will ask the court to be freed with precautionary measures. Speaking to the press, her lawyer claimed that Ponsatí is victim of "political persecution," and accused Spain of trying to end the independence movement. In addition, Anwar expressed the deposed Catalan minister's gratitude for the support of the Scottish people. "Scotland is a true friend of Catalonia in these dark times," he stressed.  

Campaign to finance Ponsatí's defence

The deposed Catalan minister started a campaign in order to finance her defence before the Scottish judiciary. Through a crowdfunding platform, Ponsatí aimed to achieve an amount of €45,700. In a few hours, she achieved more than double that.  

Catalan officials abroad

The European and international arrest warrants issued against the deposed president Carles Puigdemont and the Catalan officials abroad are to be processed in four different countries, each with their own variations in law.