Arrest of Catalonia Separatist Leader Carles Puigdemont in Italy

On Thursday, the separatist member of the European Parliament and former president of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, was arrested in Italy. He has been living in exile in Belgium since 2017 following Catalonia's attempted secession in the same year, according to his lawyer. Lawyer Gonzalo Boy wrote on Twitter, "President Puigdemont was arrested upon his arrival in Sardinia, where he went as a member of the European Parliament," clarifying that the arrest was based on a European arrest warrant dated October 14, 2019. The Catalan leader was arrested in Alghero, according to his chief advisor, Josep Lluís Alay, who tweeted, "Upon his arrival at Alghero Airport, the police arrested him at the Italian border. Tomorrow (Friday), the president will appear before judges at the Sassari Court of Appeals, which is responsible for deciding on his release or extradition." On March 9, the European Parliament lifted Puigdemont's parliamentary immunity along with two other pro-secession MEPs, a decision confirmed by the European Court on July 30. Puigdemont has been wanted by the Spanish judiciary on charges of "sedition" and "embezzlement of public funds."