Spanish Prosecutor issues European arrest warrant for Carles Puigdemont

National Court Judge Carmen Lamela has issued a European arrest warrant for the for deposed Catalan president Carles Puigdemont and his four dismissed ministers in Belgium. The four officials who are also included in the arrest warrant are Antoni Comín (Health), Meritxell Serret (Agriculture), Clara Ponsatí (Education) and Lluís Puig (Culture). The crimes they are being accused of in the arrest warrant are for rebellion, sedition, misuse of funds, breach of official duty and disobedience of lawful authority.  

The Spanish Prosecutor’s Office had already requested the warrant on Thursday, and it was then issued on Friday. The Belgian Prosecutor has now received the arrest warrant, and will begin reviewing it on Saturday November 4.

Lamela has also rejected the request that the accused be allowed to make their statements via videoconference from Belgium. According to the court ruling, there are “no prior cases to authorize the measure.” Lamela is also the same judge who ordered that the remaining deposed Catalan ministers, Oriol Junqueras, Raül Romeva, Carles Mundó, Jordi Turull, Josep Rull, Joaquim Forn, Dolors Bassa and Meritxell Borràs, be sent to prison without bail.