22/05/2018 (Agence Europe) – On Tuesday 22 May, a German court rejected the request of the Schleswig-Holstein general prosecutor to extradite the former president of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, to Spain. Although the prosecutor considered the Spanish arrest warrant and the two charges – "rebellion" and "embezzling public funds" – as "admissible", this opinion was not held by the German court. Spanish press reported that the previous day, the Catalan minister appointed for culture, Lluís Puig, had sent a letter to European Commission First Vice-President Frans Timmermans asking for EU protection because he feared "a risk of violation" of his political rights by the central Spanish government. The European Commission remained silent, not wanting to interfere in Spanish domestic affairs. (PH)