Spain’s Supreme Court on Monday said it will not reactivate an international warrant to arrest deposed Catalan President Carles Puigdemont, after he flew to Denmark from Belgium, The Guardian reported.
Puigdemont fled Spain after Catalonia declared independence on October 27. Soon after, the Spanish government dissolved the Catalan government, dismissed its leaders and initiated legal proceedings against them. Puigdemont faces charges for his role in supporting Catalonia’s movement for independence from Spain, and will be arrested if he returns to his country.
At the time, the Supreme Court had issued an international arrest warrant against him, but withdrew it in December to avoid Belgium granting him asylum.
On Sunday, the prosecution said it would ask the judge to reinstate the arrest warrant so that Danish authorities could arrest Puigdemont when he lands there, Reuters reported. The court, however, postponed the decision to reactivate the arrest warrant until the Catalan parliament is restored to normal activity, The Guardian reported, quoting a court statement.
In December 2017, voters in Catalonia backed pro-independence parties in a snap election, dealing a major blow to the Spanish government. Spain wanted to quell the secessionist movement with this election. The Spanish government led by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy had called the election on October 30 after it rejected the Catalan declaration of independence.
In the weeks leading to the elections, the entire region saw several pro-independence and pro-unity demonstrations.
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