Carles Puigdemont (@KRLS): ‘Europe has a problem’ “L’amenaça a la immunitat dels eurodiputats catalans significa que “Europa té un problema” Miquel Strubell @mstrubell_EN

@KRLS Puigdemont: Threat to Catalan MEPs’ immunity means ‘Europe has a problem’

In interview, ex-president of Catalonia charged with sedition says ‘borders are not from God.’

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“The legal travails of the #Catalan MEPs led to EU court rulings regarding election rules after Madrid tried unsuccessfully to block them from taking their seats in Parliament.

“Their cases, and that of a fourth former Catalan official, Oriol @junqueras, have also ensnared Spain and Belgium in a giant legal battle over the validity of EU arrest warrants, with wider implications for judicial cooperation among EU countries.

Two Belgian courts have already blocked the extradition of former Catalan Culture Minister Lluis Puig, who is wanted on similar charges related to the 2017 referendum, and Belgian prosecutors have said they will not appeal, essentially making it a final decision.

The ruling was based on two controversial findings. First, that Spain’s Supreme Court did not have proper jurisdiction to issue the arrest warrant and demand extradition because the Catalans should have been tried in regional court closer to where their alleged crimes occurred.

Originally tweeted by M Strubell (@mstrubell_EN) on 07/03/2021