Former Catalan Separatist Leader Arrested in Germany

On Sunday, April 5, German police arrested Carlos Puigdemont, the former leader of the Catalan separatists, in the city of Kiel, the capital of Schleswig-Holstein. Puigdemont, who is wanted by the Spanish government, was detained while returning from Finland and crossing the border from Denmark into Germany. He is scheduled to appear in a German court on Monday, April 6. The former leader faces charges including rebellion, sedition against the government, misuse of public funds, disobedience, and breach of trust (from the people). A few months ago, fearing arrest, he fled to Belgium, and despite Madrid's request, a Belgian court refused to extradite him. Ralph Duper, the Deputy Attorney General of Schleswig-Holstein, stated that the court would decide on the legality of Puigdemont's extradition to Spain. Paul Bekart, one of Puigdemont's lawyers, mentioned that his client preferred to travel by car due to airport restrictions. Catalonia held a referendum for independence last October, which the central government declared illegal and unconstitutional. In this referendum, over 40% of eligible voters participated, with 90% voting for the independence of Catalonia. At that time, Carlos Puigdemont, the then head of the local government, sent the results of the referendum to the Catalan parliament, which also voted for the region's independence. Following this, the Spanish government revoked Catalonia's autonomy and pursued the separatist leaders. After the dissolution of the local government and parliament in Catalonia, new parliamentary elections were held in December 2017 by the central government, in which separatists again gained significant power.