Catalan independence chief Carles Puigdemont arrested in Italy

His lawyer, Gonzalo Boye, informed CNN the arrest was carried out on a Spanish Supreme Courtroom warrant and a court docket spokeswoman stated the Spanish court docket is contacting the Italian courts on Friday.

Puigdemont has been residing in Belgium the previous 4 years and confronted arrest if he returned to Spain.

He went to Sardinia on Thursday to attend a cultural competition in an space the place the historic Catalan language is spoken, a Catalan regional authorities official informed CNN on Friday.

Separatist tensions proceed in Barcelona and the encircling northeast area of Catalonia. And the difficulty impacts nationwide politics proper now, with the minority authorities of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez counting on a Catalan pro-independence occasion, the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC), for help on the upcoming finances and different points. The ERC now heads Catalonia’s coalition authorities, partnered with Puigdemont’s Collectively for Catalonia (JxCat).

Spain’s authorities final June pardoned 9 Catalan leaders, serving jail sentences, for his or her roles within the failed 2017 independence drive. Sanchez on the time stated the transfer aimed to foster reconciliation between Catalonia and the remainder of Spain.

However the pardons didn’t apply to Puigdemont, who fled in 2017 together with some prime aides, after Madrid took momentary direct management of the area.

Puigdemont will now search reduction from European courts over his arrest in Italy, his lawyer informed CNN. He’ll argue that the Spanish court arrest warrant was not at the moment legitimate and he may also ask to reinstate his immunity as a European Member of Parliament, which was revoked earlier this 12 months.