Former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont walks free after Italian Court's decision

Former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont walked out of court as a free man after Italian Court ruled to extend the date of further hearing on his extradition to Spain. Puigdemont's lawyer informed the press that the court would further decide whether he could have immunity as a current member of the European Parliament or not. This came after Puigdemont urged Spanish judicial authorities to stop attempts to extradite him from other European countries. Before the decision was passed by the Italian Court, the court officials reviewed the request from the Spanish authorities to extradite Puigdemont. Notably, Puigdemont has been escaping from Spanish authorities since October 2017, after he was charged with involvement in the referendum and unilateral declaration of Catalonia as an independent region, which was considered illegal by the government of Spain. Meanwhile, after the court's decision on Monday, the separatist leader of Catalan took to Twitter and expressed his happiness, he wrote, "only a fair decision could come out of a courtroom bearing that name."

Since 2017, the exiled politician has been living in Belgium after a failed independence push. In the last four years, he has appeared before courts in Germany, Italy, and Belgium after the Spanish Supreme Court issued an arrest warrant. However, he has managed to remain free from punishment, as the Spanish government claims that he faces severe charges such as sedition and rebellion. Earlier on September 23, he was arrested in Sardinia, where he appeared to participate in a Catalan cultural event but was soon released for the hearing in an Italian court over the extradition issue. Although Puigdemont is free now, the European Court of Justice has yet to decide what will happen to his immunity as a European Parliament member. Meanwhile, two of his fellow separatist leaders, Clara Ponsati and Toni Comin, are also facing the same charges.

Earlier in 2019, Puigdemont was elected as a member of the European Parliament, which granted him immunity from prosecution. However, in March, the MEPs voted to revoke his immunity, and his appeal was also denied. His lawyers urged the European Court of Justice to restore his immunity, citing the threat of arrest after he was arrested in Sardinia. Notably, Puigdemont's temporary victory in the Sardinia court was celebrated by separatist leaders of Catalan, including the current President of Catalan, Pere Aragones, and other politicians. 

Image: AP