Deposed minister to hand herself in to Scottish police

The deposed Catalan minister, Clara Ponsatí, is to hand herself in to the Scottish police on Wednesday morning in order to testify before court in the afternoon. This move comes after Spain issued a European arrest warrant against the Catalan officials abroad, requesting their extradition to Spain where they would be trialled on their role in Catalonia’s push for independence.

“I have arranged with Police Scotland for the voluntary attendance of  Professor Clara Ponsati at St Leonard’s Police Station, Edinburgh on Wednesday 28^th March. We will arrive at the Police station at 10.30am and a short statement will be issued outside," Ponsatí's solicitor, Aamer Anwar said in a statement on Tuesday.

"I understand that Clara Ponsati faces charges of violent rebellion and misappropriation of public funds which relates to the organising of the referendum, which my client utterly refutes," he went on to say. "My legal team is instructed by Professor Ponsati to robustly defend her against the Spanish attempts to extradite her."

"Political persecution"

According to the solicitor, Ponsatí "views these charges as ‘political persecution’ and submits that her human rights and justice cannot be guaranteed in the Spanish Courts." Anwar stated that his team will apply for her to be released on bail. A full statement is expected to be made outside the court on Wednesday.

Ponsatí, who was previously in Belgium alongside Puigdemont and other deposed ministers, recently stepped down as MP in order to be able to secure a pro-independence majority in the parliament. 

Catalan officials abroad

The European and international arrest warrants issued against the deposed president Carles Puigdemont and his fellow officials abroad are to be processed in four different countries, each with their own variations in law, where the exiled officials have been seeking refuge from the Spanish judicial. 

The dismissed members of the Catalan government include Toni Comín, Clara Ponsatí, Meritxell Serret, and  Lluís Puig. Alongside Puigdemont, they all sought refuge in Belgium after the parliament declared Catalonia as independent. Ponsatí then left for Scotland. The secretary general of Esquerra Republicana, Marta Rovira, also left Catalonia last week, announcing that she would “go into exile.” She is thought to be in Switzerland. Puigdemont was detained in Germany whilst travelling back to Belgium from Finland. 

The arrest warrants are therefore to be processed in Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, and Scotland. In a un expected turn of events on Sunday, Puigdemont was locked up in Neumünster prison while it is decided to extradite him or not.