Puigdemont case: The Spanish investigating judge is angry at the German justice

Supporters of separatist leaders regularly descend the streets of Barcelona. (Image: Albert Gea / Reuters)

Former Catalan Prime Minister Carles Puigdemont, exiled to Berlin, can now breathe a sigh of relief. Spanish investigating judge Pablo Llarena on Thursday withdrew the European arrest warrant against him and five other independence supporters who had escaped from Spain. A few days earlier, the judges of the Higher Regional Court of Schleswig-Holstein had decided that Puigdemont could only be extradited on charges of misappropriation of public funds for the preparation of the October 1 independence referendum, but not for "rebellion". This is up to 30 years imprisonment in Spain. Thus, the German judges affirm a decision of April 5, with the "rebellion" as the reason for extradition was rejected.

Allegation of German guardianship

Outrage that the German judicial power interfered in Spanish judicial affairs, Llarena said the international The cooperation of justice in this case has come to an end. It also excludes a gang from the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg. The Germans had not "really committed", although the offenses would have endangered the constitutional order of Spain, complained the Spanish judge. From a Spanish point of view, it seems doubtful that the judges of distant Germany are examining and materially judging the events in Spain and thus patronizing Spanish justice. Puigdemont and other escaped Catalan separatists from Spain can now travel freely across Europe. But once they enter Spain, they will be immediately arrested while the national arrest warrant continues to apply

Last weekend, 110,000 people demonstrated in Barcelona for the liberation of the leader separatist in detention. But Thursday, their hopes were disappointed. The Madrid Public Prosecutor's Office announced that those affected should remain in detention. The facts have not changed, and there is always a risk of flight. That the prisoners were ready to deposit all their fortune on bail, it would not change anything. Nothing helped them either when Pedro Sanchez's new socialist government took office.

Old differences, new tone

After all, politicians talk again. When Sánchez and the new Catalan Prime Minister Quim Torra met for the first time on 9 July for a formal meeting they decided to work together to seek a political solution to the conflict in Catalonia. The two politicians have also decided to relaunch a bilateral commission that has not met since 2011. Sánchez now proposes to draft a new statute of Catalan autonomy. He presented this as an alternative to the referendum on independence. However, Torra stubbornly adheres to the plans for a new referendum on independence, which however must be concluded this time with the Spanish central government