Land of lies: Spain deceives European Court of Justice and has President Puigdemont arrested in Italy

Catalan exiled President Carles Puigdemont arrived in Catalan-speaking Alghero (Sardinia) in his function as a Member of the European Parliament on 23 September 2021 to attend some festive events as a guest. Upon his arrival, the MEP was arrested by the Italian police on the basis of a Spanish European arrest warrant, which is currently suspended. On 24 September, he is to be brought before a judge in Sassari to decide on his extradition to Spain.

The European Court of Justice had withdrawn its suspension of the European Parliament's decision to strip Carles Puigdemont of his immunity on the basis of a statement by Spain that the European arrest warrant requested by Spain against the Catalan president had been suspended until the European Court of Justice had given a final answer to pre-trial questions posed by the Spanish judge Pablo Llarena, as the Catalan president was no longer in danger of arrest on the basis of the information provided by Spain.

The fact that Spain has now nevertheless arrested the Catalan president in Italy on the basis of the annulled European arrest warrant of 14 October 2019, and that there may even be agreements to extradite him to Spain as soon as possible, is a slap in the face for European justice.

The European Court of Justice had explicitly ruled out precisely this in paragraph 56 of its decision cited above:

«In those circumstances, it must be concluded that, as long as the Court of Justice has not ruled in Case C 158/21 Puig Gordi and Others, there is nothing to suggest that the Belgian judicial authorities or the authorities of another Member State could execute the European arrest warrants issued against the applicants and could surrender them to the Spanish authorities.»

It is to be hoped that the President's lawyers and the European Court of Justice will immediately stop this illegal action and that Carles Puigdemont will be able to resume his duties as a Member of the European Parliament without hindrance from the Italian judiciary!

Spain has obviously lied to and deceived the European Court of Justice in an unacceptable manner. Such an action is not acceptable by any Member State of the European Union and must have consequences! This action, which is not in accordance with the rule of law, is a historical disgrace for the Spanish state and will go down in the history books as such. Obviously, Spain does not recognise fundamental values of the European Union. If this continues, the Spexit will become inevitable.

It is to be expected that the illegal arrest of the Catalan president in exile and MEP on the basis of an arrest warrant issued by the Spanish Supreme Court will lead to violent protests in Catalonia. Spain obviously does not want to have a dialogue with Catalonia, but relies on insidiousness, deceit and open confrontation. This will further the disintegration of the current Spanish state, which has already begun.

https://www.vilaweb.cat/noticies/la-policia-italiana-rete-el-president-puigdemont-a-lalguer/