Puigdemont to stay in Berlin

Carles Puigdemont will stay in Berlin while a final decision on his extradition to Spain is made. The deposed Catalan president confirmed in a press conference on Saturday that he has chosen the capital of Germany as his temporary place of residence, while a court decides on the European Arrest Warrant.

Puigdemont left the Neumünster prison in Germany on Friday afternoon, a day after the Schleswig-Holstein court decided to release the pro-independence leader on a €75,000 bail.

Catalonia’s most prominent independence leader spent 12 nights in jail. German authorities arrested him on March 25 after extradition orders were issued by the Spanish Supreme Court against Catalan officials seeking refuge abroad. According to Puigdemont, he was on his way back to Belgium, where he has resided since October, after a short visit to Finland.

"I did not expect to be arrested in Germany, nor anywhere else," said Puigdemont. "I didn't want to bring my case to other countries. We were already in Belgium. Our lawyers were there, all the expertise. Therefore, it's stupid to start the case all over again in a different country. But I have no choice."