Catalan MEP and former pro-independence political leader Carles Puigdemont (NI) was released after his short arrest in Italy, on Friday 24 September, and was able to return to Belgium on Monday 27 September, where he was expected to attend a judicial hearing on his possible extradition to Spain.
“It took a few hours for the Italian justice system to take a decision that Spain did not take in four years. We will continue to fight to achieve our goal. We will not give up and I will continue to travel across Europe”, Mr Puigdemont posted on his Twitter account shortly after the Italian court’s decision. However, he will have to appear before the Sardinian judicial authorities in the city of Sassari on 4 October.
In March, the European Parliament lifted the parliamentary immunity of Mr Puigdemont and two other Catalan MEPs (see EUROPE 12674/2).
The Catalan politician was arrested on arrival at the airport in Alghero (a city of Catalan culture), Sardinia, on Thursday 23 September, where he was due to participate in a cultural festival (see EUROPE 12798/3).
Since the end of 2017, Mr Puigdemont has been in exile, fearing a heavy sentence from the Spanish justice system, after having organised a referendum on independence deemed illegal by the national authorities (see EUROPE 11880/1). (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)