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A judge of the Spanish Supreme Court on Thursday abandoned his extradition requests for six Catalan separatist politicians accused of rebellion, including the former Catalan president, Carles Puigdemont .
Puigdemont fled to Belgium after a referendum for the independence of Catalonia on October 1, 2017, to avoid arrest and then settle in Germany.
A German court recently ruled that Puigdemont can not be extradited for rebellion, only for embezzlement of public funds.
The maximum penalty for rebellion in Spain is 30 years in prison, while embezzlement is punishable by 12 years in prison.
Judge Pablo Llarena explained in a judgment released on Thursday that the international arrest warrants of the six politicians are overturned, a decision that the separatist movement will likely consider a great victory against the central authorities.
The accusations stem from the unauthorized referendum conducted by the Catalan government last year and the subsequent unilateral declaration of independence approved by the separatist-controlled Barcelona parliament.
A German court said last week that it would allow the extradition of Puigdemont to be tried for embezzlement. But he added that Germany does not recognize the accusation of rebellion, and that the law against treason does not apply because the actions of the Catalan leader "have not reached this level of violence ".
Llarena declared that the German decision revealed "a lack of commitment" in the persecution of the fugitives, also wants Puigdemont and his separatist allies who fled the country to respond to accusations of rebellion and sedition, in addition to embezzlement of public funds.
The six should respond to these accusations even if they voluntarily return to Spain.
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