It’s very irresponsible to deny the reality of a problem to see whether it might stop existing.
Carles Puigdemont
The former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont is to appear in court following his arrest in Germany, which triggered a wave of protests in Catalonia where thousands of separatists confronted police.
Puigdemont, who has been living in self-imposed exile in Brussels since October, was travelling in a car on the way from Finland to Belgium on Sunday when he was detained, having visited Finnish lawmakers in Helsinki.
German police arrested him after he crossed the border from Denmark, under a European arrest warrant reactivated on Friday by Spain, where he is wanted on charges of sedition, rebellion and misuse of public funds.
Puigdemont will be brought before a German judge on Monday to confirm his identity. The court will then decide if he is to remain in custody pending extradition proceedings.
The news sparked protests in Catalonia that turned violent, with three arrests and at least 52 people injured in Barcelona.
A crowd of several thousand people gathered outside the office of the European commission in the city chanting “no more repression” and “general strike”. They later made their way to demonstrate outside the German consulate. Continue
