This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-50299391
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| New European arrest warrant issued for Clara Ponsati | New European arrest warrant issued for Clara Ponsati |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| A new European arrest warrant has been issued for the St Andrews University professor Clara Ponsatí. | A new European arrest warrant has been issued for the St Andrews University professor Clara Ponsatí. |
| The economist is wanted in Spain on charges of sedition and the misuse of public funds for her role as education minister in the Catalan government. | The economist is wanted in Spain on charges of sedition and the misuse of public funds for her role as education minister in the Catalan government. |
| The move followed an unsanctioned referendum on independence in 2017. | The move followed an unsanctioned referendum on independence in 2017. |
| Prof Ponsati, 62, denies any wrongdoing and will resist extradition. She is expected to appear in court on Thursday. | |
| A previous warrant was withdrawn last summer but the academic again faces being sent to Spain to stand trial following guilty verdicts against pro-independence politicians and activists. | A previous warrant was withdrawn last summer but the academic again faces being sent to Spain to stand trial following guilty verdicts against pro-independence politicians and activists. |
| Protests erupted in Barcelona last month after Spain's Supreme Court sentenced nine Catalan separatist leaders to between nine and 13 years in prison. | |
| Last July Spain withdrew the previous European arrest warrant for Prof Ponsati, four months after she was arrested by Scottish police. | Last July Spain withdrew the previous European arrest warrant for Prof Ponsati, four months after she was arrested by Scottish police. |
| At the time Prof Ponsati argued that the charges against her were politically-motivated, and claimed she would not receive a fair trial if she returned to Spain. | At the time Prof Ponsati argued that the charges against her were politically-motivated, and claimed she would not receive a fair trial if she returned to Spain. |
| The independence movement in Catalonia has close links with its Scottish counterpart, and Prof Ponsati was given a standing ovation at the SNP conference in Aberdeen last year. | The independence movement in Catalonia has close links with its Scottish counterpart, and Prof Ponsati was given a standing ovation at the SNP conference in Aberdeen last year. |
| Prof Ponsati had been working as the director of the School of Economics and Finance at the University of St Andrews since January 2016, before being appointed as the Catalan government's education minister in July 2017. | Prof Ponsati had been working as the director of the School of Economics and Finance at the University of St Andrews since January 2016, before being appointed as the Catalan government's education minister in July 2017. |
| She returned to work at St Andrews last year, having been in Belgium since fleeing Spain with deposed Catalan president Carles Puigdemont and three other former cabinet members following an unsuccessful bid to declare independence from Spain in October 2017. | She returned to work at St Andrews last year, having been in Belgium since fleeing Spain with deposed Catalan president Carles Puigdemont and three other former cabinet members following an unsuccessful bid to declare independence from Spain in October 2017. |