A former Catalan
regional government minister wanted in connection with last autumn’s
independence referendum has headed to Scotland from her previous
self-imposed exile in Belgium.
Spanish media reported that Clara Ponsati, who fled with former regional premier Carles Puigdemont to Brussels in late October, had returned the University of St Andrews.
Ms Ponsati worked as a lecturer in economics at the university until last summer, when she took a sabbatical to take up a post as education minister in the now-deposed Catalan government.
Although there is a Spanish warrant for her arrest, the European arrest warrant issued in November for Ms Ponsatí was withdrawn by Spain’s Supreme Court early last December.
In Spain, she and four other former ministers including Mr Puigdemont face charges of rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds. The former charge alone carries a sentence of up to 30 years.
The Spanish judicial authorities argued at the time of withdrawing the European warrant that maintaining its validity could create subsequent legal complications because evidence had shown the allegations were for a wider group.
It first emerged Ms Ponsatí may have left Belgium on Thursday when she apparently did not form part of a group of former councillors interviewed by a Catalan newspaper. She confirmed her move to the UK on her Twitter account on Saturday morning, posting: “Catalan exile reaches the United Kingdom. Enjoying my freedom of movement as a European citizen, this week I am now back at the University of St Andrews.”
Spanish media reported that Clara Ponsati, who fled with former regional premier Carles Puigdemont to Brussels in late October, had returned the University of St Andrews.
Ms Ponsati worked as a lecturer in economics at the university until last summer, when she took a sabbatical to take up a post as education minister in the now-deposed Catalan government.
Although there is a Spanish warrant for her arrest, the European arrest warrant issued in November for Ms Ponsatí was withdrawn by Spain’s Supreme Court early last December.
In Spain, she and four other former ministers including Mr Puigdemont face charges of rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds. The former charge alone carries a sentence of up to 30 years.
The Spanish judicial authorities argued at the time of withdrawing the European warrant that maintaining its validity could create subsequent legal complications because evidence had shown the allegations were for a wider group.
It first emerged Ms Ponsatí may have left Belgium on Thursday when she apparently did not form part of a group of former councillors interviewed by a Catalan newspaper. She confirmed her move to the UK on her Twitter account on Saturday morning, posting: “Catalan exile reaches the United Kingdom. Enjoying my freedom of movement as a European citizen, this week I am now back at the University of St Andrews.”
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