The lawyer said the warrant was suspended due to Puigdemont’s immunity as a European lawmaker
Former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont arrives at The Justice Palais, in Brussels, in an Oct. 29, 2019, file photo.The arrest warrant targeting Carles Puigdemont has been suspended by Belgian judicial authorities because of the Catalan separatist leader’s immunity as a European lawmaker, his lawyer said Thursday.
The two are wanted in Spain for their role in an illegal 2017 secession bid by the Catalan government and separatist lawmakers. They fled to Belgium after the attempt failed and were elected to the European Parliament in May as representatives of Catalan separatist parties from Spain.Last month the European Union’s top court, the European Court of Justice, overturned a decision preventing Puigdemont and Comin from taking their European Parliament seats.
“The investigative judge has decided to suspend the procedure of the European warrant following the decision of the European Court of Justice,” Bekaert said. “The European Court has ruled they have immunity.”“Belgian justice recognizes our immunity and decides to suspend the arrest and extradition warrant!” Puigdemont said in a message posted on Twitter. “But now we are still waiting for the release of , who has the same immunity as us.
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