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The Court of Appeal of Sassari, in Italy, decided this Monday to suspend the procedure on the extradition to Spain of the former president of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont. The Italian Justice argued that it will postpone the ruling until two decisions weigh on the Court of Justice of the European Union: the immunity of the separatist leader and the legitimacy of a Spanish judge to request the arrest.
Smiling and after knowing the authorization to travel wherever he decides, the independence leader of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, shook hands and hugged some of his supporters at the exit of the Sassari Court of Appeal, in Sardinia, Italy, where this 4 October.
The Catalan leader’s tranquility comes after the court decided to suspend its decision regarding the delivery of the politician to Spain, where he is accused of sedition after the independence referendum that he promoted four years ago, despite the central government’s ban.
His Italian lawyer, Agostinangelo Marras, explained that the postponement of the ruling is due to the fact that the Sassari court will await decisions on two cases that the Court of Justice of the European Union must rule on.
The first is the ruling on the withdrawal of Puigdemont’s immunity as a member of the European Parliament. The 58-year-old politician has served as an active member since 2019, but lawmakers from that body removed his immunity from prosecution in March. Those affected appealed the decision to the EU high court.
The second, the answer about whether or not the Supreme Court of Spain has the authority to request the extradition of Puigdemont, after a court in Belgium ruled, last January, that it did not have such jurisdiction when it requested the surrender of another associate. the independence leader.
“It is absolutely free. The court will set a new date after the European court decides on two pending issues, ”Marras stressed.
For the moment, the judicial process remains on hold while the judicial issues raised are resolved. Therefore, the court considers that Puigdemont’s immunity as a MEP is in force and he can travel throughout the territory of the European Union.
Spain asks Italy to arrest two other Catalan separatists
The secessionist leader arrived at the court accompanied by former members of the Catalan Government Toni Comín and Clara Ponsatí, also wanted by the Spanish Justice and on whom another Euro order of the Supreme Court weighs.
Precisely, the magistrate of the Spanish Supreme Court, Pablo Llarena, who is instructing the case against Puigdemont, asked the Sassari Court of Appeal on Monday to execute the arrest warrants against Comín and Ponsatí, present in Italian territory.
Despite the Euro order in force for the crimes of sedition and embezzlement, neither of them has been arrested by the Italian Police.
The disagreement between the different bodies of Justice in Europe revolves around whether those indicated have parliamentary immunity or not.
Both Puigdemont and Pontasí and Comín have been out of the hands of the Spanish courts since the end of October 2017. Following Catalonia’s failed unilateral declaration of independence, they left the country and attempts to extradite them have been unsuccessful.
However, other main independence leaders were arrested and convicted of sedition.
With Reuters, AP and EFE
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source https://pledgetimes.com/italian-court-postpones-ruling-on-puigdemonts-extradition-to-spain/
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