Former Catalan government head detained in Sardinia, his office says

September 23, 2021

MADRID (Reuters) – The former Catalan government head Carles Puigdemont was detained on Thursday by Italian police in Sardinia, his office said in a statement.

Spain has accused the Catalan separatist leader with sedition, claiming he helped organise a 2017 independence referendum deemed illegal by Spanish courts.

In March, the European Parliament stripped Puidgemont of the immunity he enjoyed as a member since 2019. Puigdemont was living in self-imposed exile in Belgium.

His office said Puigdemont had travelled to Alghero this afternoon from Brussels to attend the Adifolk International Exhibition and to meet with the regional head of Sardinia and its ombudsman.

“When he arrived at the Alghero airport, he was stopped by the Italian border police. Tomorrow he will be placed at the disposal of the judges of the court of appeal of Sasser, which is competent to decide whether to release him or extradite him,” its office said in the statement.

Spanish radio station Cadena Ser first reported the news, citing his lawyer Gonzalo Boye.

His lawyer confirmed the detention in a tweet.

(Reporting by Joan Faus and Jesús Aguado; Editing by David Gregorio)

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