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Catalan academic will resist extradition from Scotland to Spain Catalan academic facing extradition from Scotland granted bail
(about 3 hours later)
Clara Ponsatí, the Catalan academic facing extradition from Scotland to Spain for alleged sedition, has said she will resist the European arrest warrant issued by judges in Madrid. Clara Ponsatí, the Catalan academic facing extradition from Scotland to Spain for alleged sedition, has been granted bail by a court in Edinburgh pending a full hearing in April.
Ponsatí arrived at a police station in Edinburgh on Wednesday to be formally arrested and served with the Spanish warrant, before an expected appearance at Edinburgh sheriff court later to answer the extradition request. Ponsati appeared in the dock at the city’s sheriff court flanked by custody officers after she arrived at a police station in Edinburgh on Wednesday to be formally arrested and served with a European arrest warrant issued by judges in Madrid.
Her lawyer, Aamer Anwar, said Ponsatí – an economics professor at St Andrews University – remains “defiant, resolute and determined to fight back” as they arrived at the police station. Her lawyer, Claire Mitchell, told the court that Ponsatí faced charges of rebellion and misusing €1.6m in public funds for her role in the Catalan regional government, which organised an illegal independence referendum last year.
“My legal team is instructed to robustly defend Clara as she views these charges as ‘political persecution’ and a systematic attempt to crush the spirit of the Catalan people and their desire for freedom,” Anwar added. The 18-page arrest warrant listed 56 specific claims and blamed her in part for violence against 6,000 Spanish police officers.
Ponsatí is expected to be granted bail before a full extradition hearing this summer. A crowdfunding drive to raise money for her legal costs had nearly reached its target of £100,000 only a few hours after it went live on Wednesday. Mitchell said Ponsatí would vigorously resist the extradition, but her bail application was unopposed by Scottish prosecutors representing the Spanish courts.
Scottish independence campaigners are rallying to her support and are expected to demonstrate with pro-Catalan independence supporters outside the court. The Scottish government has stopped short of supporting Catalonia’s independencebut insists that the region be allowed to conduct a referendum, which is illegal under Spain’s constitution.
The Scottish government has stopped short of supporting Catalonia’s independence, but insists the region be allowed to conduct a referendum, which is illegal under Spain’s constitution. Fiona Hyslop, the Scottish government’s external affairs secretary, wrote to Spain’s ambassador to the UK, Carlos Bastarreche Sagües, on Tuesday, protesting at the use of a European arrest warrant in a political dispute.
Fiona Hyslop, the Scottish government’s external affairs secretary, wrote to Spain’s ambassador to the UK, Carlos Bastarreche Sagües on Tuesday, protesting at the use of a European arrest warrant in a political dispute. Ponsatí has been named by the Spanish courts as a fugitive from justice after briefly serving as an education minister under Carles Puigdemont in the regional Catalan government. She is one of five senior figures in Puigdemont’s team who fled Spain after his government was removed from office.
She has been named by the Spanish courts as a fugitive from justice after briefly serving as an education minister under Carles Puigdemont in the regional Catalan government, which pursued an illegal referendum last year.
One of five senior figures in Puigdemont’s team who fled Spain after his government was removed from office, Ponsatí faces charges of rebellion and misappropriation of public funds for her part in the government.
Highly regarded at St Andrews, she had just finished a three-year term as head of the university’s school of economics when Puigdemont recalled her to Barcelona to be his new education minister – a job she held for just four months.Highly regarded at St Andrews, she had just finished a three-year term as head of the university’s school of economics when Puigdemont recalled her to Barcelona to be his new education minister – a job she held for just four months.
Ponsatí is little known in Catalonia and few had heard of her until she fled to Brussels with Puigdemont last October.Ponsatí is little known in Catalonia and few had heard of her until she fled to Brussels with Puigdemont last October.
Her predecessor, Meritxell Ruiz, was one of three ministers purged from Puigdemont’s cabinet because they were unwilling to back the proposed illegal referendum. Officially the three left for personal reasons. Her predecessor, Meritxell Ruiz, was one of three ministers purged from Puigdemont’s cabinet because they were unwilling to back the proposed referendum. Officially the three left for personal reasons.
ScotlandScotland
SpainSpain
CataloniaCatalonia
Carles Puigdemont
EuropeEurope
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