Decision on Puigdemont ‘absolutely right,’ says German minister

Germany’s justice minister, Katarina Barley, says the Schleswig-Holstein court’s decision on Carles Puigdemont’s release is “absolutely right.” In an unexpected blow to the Spanish judiciary, the regional court rejected the charges of rebellion against the deposed Catalan president on Thursday, and let him go free on bail while deciding on his extradition to Spain.

“The decision of the judges in Schleswig is absolutely right,” said Barley in an interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung, and added that she was indeed expecting them to decide this way.

The court is now to determine whether to accept Spain’s European Arrest Warrant or not. Having dismissed the crime of rebellion, the only offence that could prompt Puigdemont’s extradition is that of misuse of public funds. According to Barley, “it won’t be easy” for Spain to prove it.