Former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont has been arrested on the Italian island of Sardinia. Puigdemont has an international arrest warrant issued by the Spanish Supreme Court, where they want to prosecute Puigdemont for organizing the referendum in 2017.
Puigdemont was elected to the European Parliament in 2019 and thus had parliamentary immunity. That became him before this year after a vote in parliament. The Spanish Court subsequently again invoked the arrest warrant against the former regional president.
Puigdemont was in Sardinia for a cultural gathering in the town of L’Alguer, where the population speaks Catalan. Puigdemont is said to meet with a number of mayors on the island, who are advocating secession locally.
The former Catalan leader could face up to 25 years in prison if convicted.
–
