Catalans Stop Traffic Over Puigdemont's Capture
Catalan Mossos d'Esquadra regional police officers block the way to protestors, holding pro-independence and republican flags, trying to reach the Spanish government office in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, March 25, 2018. Grassroots groups both for and against Catalan secession called for protests Sunday in Barcelona after Carles Puigdemont, the fugitive ex-leader of Catalonia and ardent separatist, was arrested Sunday by German police on an international warrant. (AP Photo/Emilio_Morenatti)
Sunday, March 25, 2018, 1:15 PM
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — The Latest on the Catalonia separatist movement and Spain (all times local):
8:10 p.m.
Protestors angry with the detention of Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont in Germany have stopped traffic on highways in northeastern Spain.
Catalonia's regional transit service has reported that protestors have cut off traffic on four different highways Sunday afternoon.
Puigdemont was detained in Germany on an international arrest warrant issued by Spain after he fled the country in October following an illegal declaration of independence.
Crowds also clashed with police in the region's main city of Barcelona.
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Scotland's leader says officials are legally obliged to follow the extradition procedures for a fugitive Catalan politician in Scotland, even though her government strongly opposes Spain's decision to arrest and imprison Catalonia's separatist leaders.
Scottish police say they have received a European arrest warrant for Clara Ponsati, Catalonia's former education chief, who fled from Spain after Catalonia's failed independence bid. She has recently returned to her academic post at the University of St. Andrews.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said that Scotland's support for Catalan self-determination is "well-established," adding on Twitter on Sunday: "I know that many will wish @scotgov was able to do or say more — I understand that."
But she said that Scottish officials must follow extradition laws, and that the independence of the legal system must be respected despite the government's political views.
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7 p.m.
Prosecutors in Germany say that fugitive Catalan ex-president Carles Puigdemont will appear in court Monday in a northern German town "to confirm the identity of the detained."
The Schleswig prosecutor's office said in a statement that "the question of whether Mr. Puigdemont has to be taken into extradition custody, will then have to be determined by the higher regional court in Schleswig."
The statement says that the court will check, based on extradition documents by Spain, if the handover of Puigdemont to Spanish authorities is "legally permissible."
Puigdemont was detained Sunday morning in Germany on an international warrant near the highway leading from Denmark to Germany.
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6:40 p.m.
Crowds are clashing with police in downtown Barcelona as angry Catalans protest the detention of fugitive former leader Carles Puigdemont in Germany.
Police dressed in riot gear are striking demonstrators with batons as they try to push back a large crowd that wants to advance on the office of the Spanish government's representative in Catalonia.
Catalan police have blocked the street and issued a call for people not to gather.
Thousands answered the call by a pro-independence grassroots group to protest in the city center hours after Puigdemont was detained by German police.
Puigdemont fled from Spain in October following an illegal declaration of independence by the region.
___
6 p.m.
Thousands of Catalans are gathering in downtown Barcelona to protest the detention of fugitive former president Carles Puigdemont in Germany.
Protestors are rallying in front of the office of the European Commission in Barcelona and organizers plan to march to the German Consulate.
There was another similar protest in the northern city of Girona, where Puigdemont was mayor before he became regional president in 2016.
A grassroots group in favor of Catalonia staying a part of Spain called for another gathering at the same time in Barcelona to show their support for the Constitution in front of the office of the Spanish government's representative in Catalonia.
Puigdemont was detained by German police Sunday who were executing an international warrant issued by Spain on Friday. He was returning from Finland to Belgium, where he fled following an illegal declaration of independence by the Spanish region in October.
___
5:30 p.m.
Police in Scotland say the lawyer of a fugitive former member of Catalonia's government has been in touch with the force, and is preparing for the politician to be handed over to authorities.
A European warrant was issued Friday for Clara Ponsati, Catalonia's former education chief, who fled from Spain along with former regional president Carles Puigdemont and other Catalan leaders in October after a failed independence bid. She has since renounced her seat in the Catalan parliament.
In the past few weeks, Ponsati had moved from Belgium to Scotland and returned to her work at the University of St. Andrews, where she is a professor of economics.
Scottish police have tweeted that they had been making enquiries to trace Ponsati, whose lawyer has now contacted the force so she can hand herself in.
___
4:55 p.m.
The detention of the fugitive ex-leader of secession-minded Catalonia has sparked mixed reactions in Spain.
Albert Rivera, the president of the pro-Spain Citizens party, celebrated the capture of Carles Puigdemont, who he accused of trying to carry out a "coup."
Rivera wrote on his Twitter account: "Trying to destroy a European democracy, ignoring the laws of democracy, shattering our harmonious co-existence and embezzling public funds to do so can't go unpunished, Justice has done its job."
Puigdemont's supporters, however, lamented his capture and said they hoped Germany won't honor Spain's extradition request.
Elsa Artadi, a member of the Catalan parliament considered to be in Puigdemont's inner circle, responded to his detention by writing on Twitter: "Spain does not guarantee a fair trial, only revenge and repression."
Puigdemont was detained in Germany while traveling from Finland back to Belgium, where he has been living since fleeing Spain in October following an illegal declaration of independence by Catalonia's parliament.
___
4 p.m.
Spain says that its intelligence services and police worked with German police to orchestrate the detention of the fugitive former leader of Catalonia's separatist movement.
A Spanish police official told The Associated Press on customary condition of anonymity that Spain's National Center for Intelligence and police agents from its international cooperation division helped German police in the capture of Carles Puigdemont.
Puigdemont was stopped by German police entering from Denmark.
Puigdemont was returning from a visit to Finland and on his way to Belgium, where he has been living since fleeing Spain in October following an illegal— and unsuccessful— declaration of independence by his regional government.
A Spanish judge reactivated an international warrant for Puigdemont and five other fugitive separatist leaders from northeastern Spain on Friday.
___
3:45 p.m.
German news agency dpa has reported that Catalan ex-president Carles Puigdemont has been taken to a prison in the northern town of Neumuenster following his detention on a European warrant as he entered Germany from Denmark.
Dpa photos showed a van with tinted windows believe to be carrying Puigdemont as it arrived at the prison Sunday afternoon.
Police in the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein say that highway police detained Puigdemont at 11:19 a.m. (0919 GMT; 4:19 a.m. EDT) near the A7 highway which leads from Denmark into Germany. His lawyer says Puigdemont was on his way back to Belgium where he has been staying since fleeing Spain following a failed bid by his regional government in October to declare independence from Spain.
Deputy state prosecutor Ralph Doepper from Schleswig, which is 60 kilometers (37 miles) south of Neumuenster, said that a German court would likely decide by Monday whether Puigdemont would be put into custody pending the outcome of his extradition case.
___
3:25 p.m.
German state prosecutors say they are checking for how long Catalan ex-president Carles Puigdemont can remain in police custody following his detention on a European warrant as he entered the country from Denmark.
Police in the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein said highway police detained Puigdemont Sunday at 11:19 a.m. (0919 GMT; 4:19 a.m. EDT) near the A7 highway which leads from Denmark into Germany.
The German news agency dpa reported that deputy state prosecutor Ralph Doepper, who is based in the northern town of Schleswig, said that a German court would likely decide by Monday whether Puigdemont would remain in custody pending the outcome of his extradition case.
Doepper said that "we are at the very beginning of our assessment." He refused to give any details on the Catalan leader's current whereabouts other than to say "we had information that he would be in Germany or would enter Germany."
___
1:30 p.m.
German police say they have detained fugitive Catalan ex-president Carles Puigdemont on a European warrant.
Police in the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein said highway police detained Puigdemont on Sunday morning near the A7 highway that leads from Denmark into Germany.
They said "Mr. Puigdemont is currently in police custody" and refused to give further details.
A Spanish Supreme Court judge charged 13 Catalan separatist politicians with rebellion Friday for their attempts to make the region independent of Spain, dealing a heavy blow to the secessionist movement. The judge ordered international warrants for the six Catalan officials who are fugitives, including Puigdemont.
___
12:50 p.m.
Fugitive former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont is being held by German police on an international warrant after trying to cross into Germany from Denmark.
His lawyer, Jaume Alonso-Cuevillas, confirmed to The Associated Press that German police stopped Puigdemont on Sunday when he was crossing the border. He says Puigdemont is at a police station.
Alonso-Cuevillas says Puigdemont was on his way back to Belgium where he has been staying since fleeing Spain following a failed bid by his regional government in October to declare independence from Spain.
A Spanish Supreme Court judge reactivated an international warrant for Puigdemont on Friday when he was visiting Finland. Arrest warrants have also been issued for five other Catalan separatists.
Sunday, March 25, 2018, 1:15 PM
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — The Latest on the Catalonia separatist movement and Spain (all times local):
8:10 p.m.
Protestors angry with the detention of Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont in Germany have stopped traffic on highways in northeastern Spain.
Catalonia's regional transit service has reported that protestors have cut off traffic on four different highways Sunday afternoon.
Puigdemont was detained in Germany on an international arrest warrant issued by Spain after he fled the country in October following an illegal declaration of independence.
Crowds also clashed with police in the region's main city of Barcelona.
___
Scotland's leader says officials are legally obliged to follow the extradition procedures for a fugitive Catalan politician in Scotland, even though her government strongly opposes Spain's decision to arrest and imprison Catalonia's separatist leaders.
Scottish police say they have received a European arrest warrant for Clara Ponsati, Catalonia's former education chief, who fled from Spain after Catalonia's failed independence bid. She has recently returned to her academic post at the University of St. Andrews.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said that Scotland's support for Catalan self-determination is "well-established," adding on Twitter on Sunday: "I know that many will wish @scotgov was able to do or say more — I understand that."
But she said that Scottish officials must follow extradition laws, and that the independence of the legal system must be respected despite the government's political views.
___
7 p.m.
Prosecutors in Germany say that fugitive Catalan ex-president Carles Puigdemont will appear in court Monday in a northern German town "to confirm the identity of the detained."
The Schleswig prosecutor's office said in a statement that "the question of whether Mr. Puigdemont has to be taken into extradition custody, will then have to be determined by the higher regional court in Schleswig."
The statement says that the court will check, based on extradition documents by Spain, if the handover of Puigdemont to Spanish authorities is "legally permissible."
Puigdemont was detained Sunday morning in Germany on an international warrant near the highway leading from Denmark to Germany.
___
6:40 p.m.
Crowds are clashing with police in downtown Barcelona as angry Catalans protest the detention of fugitive former leader Carles Puigdemont in Germany.
Police dressed in riot gear are striking demonstrators with batons as they try to push back a large crowd that wants to advance on the office of the Spanish government's representative in Catalonia.
Catalan police have blocked the street and issued a call for people not to gather.
Thousands answered the call by a pro-independence grassroots group to protest in the city center hours after Puigdemont was detained by German police.
Puigdemont fled from Spain in October following an illegal declaration of independence by the region.
___
6 p.m.
Thousands of Catalans are gathering in downtown Barcelona to protest the detention of fugitive former president Carles Puigdemont in Germany.
Protestors are rallying in front of the office of the European Commission in Barcelona and organizers plan to march to the German Consulate.
There was another similar protest in the northern city of Girona, where Puigdemont was mayor before he became regional president in 2016.
A grassroots group in favor of Catalonia staying a part of Spain called for another gathering at the same time in Barcelona to show their support for the Constitution in front of the office of the Spanish government's representative in Catalonia.
Puigdemont was detained by German police Sunday who were executing an international warrant issued by Spain on Friday. He was returning from Finland to Belgium, where he fled following an illegal declaration of independence by the Spanish region in October.
___
5:30 p.m.
Police in Scotland say the lawyer of a fugitive former member of Catalonia's government has been in touch with the force, and is preparing for the politician to be handed over to authorities.
A European warrant was issued Friday for Clara Ponsati, Catalonia's former education chief, who fled from Spain along with former regional president Carles Puigdemont and other Catalan leaders in October after a failed independence bid. She has since renounced her seat in the Catalan parliament.
In the past few weeks, Ponsati had moved from Belgium to Scotland and returned to her work at the University of St. Andrews, where she is a professor of economics.
Scottish police have tweeted that they had been making enquiries to trace Ponsati, whose lawyer has now contacted the force so she can hand herself in.
___
4:55 p.m.
The detention of the fugitive ex-leader of secession-minded Catalonia has sparked mixed reactions in Spain.
Albert Rivera, the president of the pro-Spain Citizens party, celebrated the capture of Carles Puigdemont, who he accused of trying to carry out a "coup."
Rivera wrote on his Twitter account: "Trying to destroy a European democracy, ignoring the laws of democracy, shattering our harmonious co-existence and embezzling public funds to do so can't go unpunished, Justice has done its job."
Puigdemont's supporters, however, lamented his capture and said they hoped Germany won't honor Spain's extradition request.
Elsa Artadi, a member of the Catalan parliament considered to be in Puigdemont's inner circle, responded to his detention by writing on Twitter: "Spain does not guarantee a fair trial, only revenge and repression."
Puigdemont was detained in Germany while traveling from Finland back to Belgium, where he has been living since fleeing Spain in October following an illegal declaration of independence by Catalonia's parliament.
___
4 p.m.
Spain says that its intelligence services and police worked with German police to orchestrate the detention of the fugitive former leader of Catalonia's separatist movement.
A Spanish police official told The Associated Press on customary condition of anonymity that Spain's National Center for Intelligence and police agents from its international cooperation division helped German police in the capture of Carles Puigdemont.
Puigdemont was stopped by German police entering from Denmark.
Puigdemont was returning from a visit to Finland and on his way to Belgium, where he has been living since fleeing Spain in October following an illegal— and unsuccessful— declaration of independence by his regional government.
A Spanish judge reactivated an international warrant for Puigdemont and five other fugitive separatist leaders from northeastern Spain on Friday.
___
3:45 p.m.
German news agency dpa has reported that Catalan ex-president Carles Puigdemont has been taken to a prison in the northern town of Neumuenster following his detention on a European warrant as he entered Germany from Denmark.
Dpa photos showed a van with tinted windows believe to be carrying Puigdemont as it arrived at the prison Sunday afternoon.
Police in the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein say that highway police detained Puigdemont at 11:19 a.m. (0919 GMT; 4:19 a.m. EDT) near the A7 highway which leads from Denmark into Germany. His lawyer says Puigdemont was on his way back to Belgium where he has been staying since fleeing Spain following a failed bid by his regional government in October to declare independence from Spain.
Deputy state prosecutor Ralph Doepper from Schleswig, which is 60 kilometers (37 miles) south of Neumuenster, said that a German court would likely decide by Monday whether Puigdemont would be put into custody pending the outcome of his extradition case.
___
3:25 p.m.
German state prosecutors say they are checking for how long Catalan ex-president Carles Puigdemont can remain in police custody following his detention on a European warrant as he entered the country from Denmark.
Police in the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein said highway police detained Puigdemont Sunday at 11:19 a.m. (0919 GMT; 4:19 a.m. EDT) near the A7 highway which leads from Denmark into Germany.
The German news agency dpa reported that deputy state prosecutor Ralph Doepper, who is based in the northern town of Schleswig, said that a German court would likely decide by Monday whether Puigdemont would remain in custody pending the outcome of his extradition case.
Doepper said that "we are at the very beginning of our assessment." He refused to give any details on the Catalan leader's current whereabouts other than to say "we had information that he would be in Germany or would enter Germany."
___
1:30 p.m.
German police say they have detained fugitive Catalan ex-president Carles Puigdemont on a European warrant.
Police in the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein said highway police detained Puigdemont on Sunday morning near the A7 highway that leads from Denmark into Germany.
They said "Mr. Puigdemont is currently in police custody" and refused to give further details.
A Spanish Supreme Court judge charged 13 Catalan separatist politicians with rebellion Friday for their attempts to make the region independent of Spain, dealing a heavy blow to the secessionist movement. The judge ordered international warrants for the six Catalan officials who are fugitives, including Puigdemont.
___
12:50 p.m.
Fugitive former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont is being held by German police on an international warrant after trying to cross into Germany from Denmark.
His lawyer, Jaume Alonso-Cuevillas, confirmed to The Associated Press that German police stopped Puigdemont on Sunday when he was crossing the border. He says Puigdemont is at a police station.
Alonso-Cuevillas says Puigdemont was on his way back to Belgium where he has been staying since fleeing Spain following a failed bid by his regional government in October to declare independence from Spain.
A Spanish Supreme Court judge reactivated an international warrant for Puigdemont on Friday when he was visiting Finland. Arrest warrants have also been issued for five other Catalan separatists.
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