Former Catalan Leader Carles Puigdemont Detained In Italy, Lawyer Says

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Member of European Parliament Carles Puigdemont prepares for an interview in Brussels. The lawyer for Puigdemont says the former Catalan leader has been detained in Sardinia, Italy.

Francisco Seco/AP


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Francisco Seco/AP


The Two-Way
From Exile, Puigdemont Abandons Pursuit Of Catalonian Presidency

Police at the airport in northern Sardinia didn’t answer phone calls Thursday night, while police in the city of Alghero said they weren’t aware of his detention.

The European Parliament voted in March to lift the immunity of Puigdemont and two of his associates. In July the three EU lawmakers failed to have their immunity restored after the European Union’s general court said that they did not demonstrate they were at risk of being arrested.


The Two-Way
Ex-Catalan Leader Puigdemont Detained In Germany As Protests Erupt In Catalonia

Sardinian media reported earlier in the week he was due to attend an event in Alghero on Sunday, so his presence on the Mediterranean island had been expected. Sardinian media had also reported that Puigdemont was invited by a Sardinian pro-separatist group.

Puigdemont’s office said in a statement he had traveled to Alghero from Brussels to attend a folklore festival.

Puigdemont was transferred to a jail in Sassari, a city about a 40 kilometer drive northeast of Alghero, the Italian news agency ANSA reported. Earlier reports said a judge in Sassari would rule on Friday on whether Puigdemont should be freed.


The Two-Way
Catalan Separatists Back Puigdemont, Reviving Prospect Of Independence Push

Puigdemont and a number of his separatist colleagues fled to Belgium in October 2017, fearing arrest after holding an independence referendum for Catalonia that the Spanish courts and government said was illegal.

Nine Catalan separatists received prison sentences for their role in the 2017 referendum ranging from nine to 13 years. They were pardoned in July.

  • European Parliament
  • Carles Puigdemont
  • Italy
  • Spain

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