Carles Puigdemont: German court rules arrested ex Catalonian leader must remain in custody

Catalonia‘s former president must remain in custody in Germany while the country’s courts decide whether to extradite him to Spain.

Carles Puigdemont’s arrest on Sunday saw tens of thousands of Catalan demonstrators take to the streets in Barcelona, where some clashed with police.

Fierce confrontations took place outside the central government offices as riot police beat flag-waving protesters with batons, leaving several bloody and injured.

Around 100 people were hurt across the Catalan region, including 23 members of the Mossos d’Escuadra police force, and nine people were arrested, authorities said.

A court in the northern German town of Neumuenster said the formal requirements to detain Mr Puigdemont had been met by a European arrest warrant issued in Spain.

The court denied him bail and said he posed a flight risk, concluding he had a “strong incentive” to try to travel to Belgium, where his chances of avoiding extradition may be greater.

European rules call for a final decision on extradition within 60 days of the suspect’s arrest, though a 30-day extension is possible, a Justice Ministry spokeswoman, Stephanie Krueger, said.

Spain‘s government said Mr Puigdemont’s arrest, at a highway rest area south of the German-Danish border as he attempted to drive from Finland to Belgium, shows “nobody can infinitely mock justice.”

The country’s authorities accuse Mr Puigdemont, 55, of rebellion and misuse of public funds for organising an unauthorised referendum last year on independence for Catalonia.

Madrid deemed the referendum illegal and took over direct rule of the wealthy northeastern region after a symbolic declaration of independence by the Catalan parliament.

Authorities examining a European arrest warrant must determine whether the offence a suspect is accused of committing is equivalent to a criminal offence in the country where he was arrested.

Germany’s criminal code includes an offence which appears to be comparable to rebellion.

It calls for prison sentences for anyone who “undertakes, by force or through threat of force” to undermine the republic’s existence or change its constitutional order.

Mr Puigdemont and other Catalan separatists who are wanted by Spain after fleeing the country argue their movement has been entirely peaceful.