Puigdemont to remain behind bars in Germany for a second night

The deposed Catalan president Carles Puigdemont will remain in custody for a second night in Germany, where he was detained on Sunday over a European Arrest Warrant from Spain. The extradition case of the pro-independence leader will now be referred to the High Court of Schleswig-Holstein, which will have to decide whether to accept his extradition on rebellion charges.

According to legal experts, Puigdemont’s extradition could still take between two and three months before a final decision is made. Although the crime of rebellion does not exist in the German criminal code, the crime of high treason intends to punish similar offenses.

Puigdemont was arrested after the Spanish judiciary unexpectedly reissued an international arrest order on Friday. The Catalan leader, who was visiting Finland, tried to come back to Belgium, where he has lived since last October when he was dismissed following the declaration of independence.

Puigdemont’s detention has sparked a new wave of protests in Catalonia, with tensions rising to levels unmatched since last October. Clashes with police left more than a hundred people injured on Sunday, including more than 20 police officers. Nine people were arrested.

In a message made public by his wife on Monday, Puigdemont called on pro-independence supporters to remain peaceful: “Now there should be no violence.”

In response to Puigdemont’s arrest, his party and far-left CUP have proposed to appoint him as president. Last January, his swearing-in ceremony was suspended by the parliament speaker after the Spanish Constitutional Court warned that he would not be allowed to retake the office from abroad.

Pro-independence parties held on to a parliamentary majority in an election last December. Yet, they have not been able to appoint a new president and secure control of the government, which has been under Madrid's control since October.

All candidates put forward by pro-independence parties have been blocked by the Spanish judiciary. After Puigdemont's failed swearing-in, they tried to appoint Jordi Sànchez, a pro-independence activist imprisoned since October 16. Again, Spanish courts blocked his election.

Jordi Turull, a deposed minister, was chosen as the third presidential candidate by the two main pro-independence parties. After failing to be elected in the first round, the Spanish Supreme Court sent him to jail along four other officials.

Currently, there are nine Catalan leaders imprisoned in Madrid facing criminal charges for their role in the independence bid. 

Apart from Puigdemont, the Spanish judiciary also issued European Arrest Warrants for five pro-independence leaders who are currently in Scotland, Switzerland and Belgium.