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Waterloo (Belgium) (EFE) .- Some 350 people, according to the police, celebrated today the return of the former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont to the so-called "House of the Republic" to Waterloo in the presence of the President of the Generalitat Quim Torra and members of his government, as well as ex-councilors fled Spain .
Wearing flags of independence and yellow clothes, participants posted a banner in front of the Waterloo Mansion where Puigdemont, fugitive from the Spanish justice, has established his residence since the beginning of the year, in which you can read "We love you at home" Referring to Catalan politicians in prison.
Puigdemont, Torra, representatives of badociations such as Casal Catalán in Brussels or Plataforma for language and the rapper fled Valtonyc, among others, made brief speeches from the balcony of the "House of the Republic ", where hung a sign that said, in English, " Freedom for political prisoners and exiles "
The former Catalan president and his four ex-counselors fleeing justice are accused in Spain of crimes of rebellion and embezzlement, among others, for having favored the secessionist process in Catalonia
. On July 19, the Supreme Court ruled that a German court had decided to accept the extradition of Puigdemont solely for embezzlement and not for rebellion, as required by the Spanish courts. [19659003] Puigdemont said Saturday was a "symbolically important day" and "conflicting feelings" and he thanked the Catalan politicians in prison, for whom he demanded his release.
"We do not want them in the prisons of the house, but at home" said the former president, raising applause among the present, and explained that his purpose is "to go very far" and that the important thing is not that the road "is very long, but"
For its part, Torra criticized the judicial process against the Catalan politicians in prison, describing it as a "joke" and badured that the Catalan government is committed to "always play clean".
He also spoke of the balcony of the residence of Puigdemont the British Ben Emerson attorney representing Puigdemont in the lawsuit brought before the Human Rights Committee from the UN . He said that the executive headed by the president Pedro Sánchez has a "small window of opportunity" to negotiate with the Catalonia government before the trial of Catalan politicians begin
The lawyer warned that, if this possibility did not prosper, there could be an "acceleration" of the "journey to independence", which, according to him, would benefit no one.
also another fleeing the Spanish justice, rapper Valtonyc convicted in Spain for glorifying terrorism, insulted the Crown and threats and released on July 5 by the Belgian authorities.
Valtonyc, who is waiting for a magistrate to decide on his eventual surrender to Spain, condemns the existence in Spain of a "politicized justice" and ensures that the country is "a dictatorship and not a democracy".
At the end of the act, the Catalan anthem was heard as Catalan and European Union flags were lifted and representatives of the Catalan government, Puigdemont and the ex-councilors sang "Els segadors" with sympathizers, among those who included Belgian separatists, who also displayed their flags.
It is expected that tonight an informal meeting will be held in a place in the center of Brussels which will be attended by members of the Catalan Executive, Valtonyc and many supporters who attended the event today. to Waterloo. EFE (I)
mb / ie
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