A Spanish judge on Tuesday withdrew the European arrest warrants for ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and four members of his former cabinet who have been fighting extradition from Belgium.
A Supreme Court spokesperson said the five could still be arrested if they return to Spain, however, because they are still being sought for crimes related to the independence bid in northeastern Catalonia.
The spokesperson asked not to be named in line with court rules.
Supreme Court magistrate Pablo Llarena said Tuesday that individual European warrants don’t apply any longer because evidence has emerged that the alleged crimes were committed as part of a wider group.
He also said the probed politicians have shown their “intention to return to Spain” in order to run for elections in Catalonia.
Illegal referendum
The five Catalans are facing rebellion, sedition and embezzlement among other charges for their roles in staging in October an illegal independence referendum that led to an independence declaration in the region’s parliament.
The crimes are punishable in Spain with decades in prison.
National, European and international arrest warrants were issued on Nov. 3, after members of Puigdemont’s government who remained in Spain were jailed on provisional charges.
Two ex-cabinet members, including Vice-President Oriol Junqueras, and two separatist activists remain in custody.
There were no immediate reactions by Puigdemont and aides in Brussels to the judge’s announcement, but defence lawyer Paul Bekaert was taken by surprise when he heard the news from a reporter.
Puigdemont is leading his party’s campaign for the Dec. 21 election called by Spain’s government in an attempt to find a democratic fix to the nation’s worst institutional crisis in nearly four decades.
