The Belgian lawyer for Carles Puigdemont said Wednesday he does not expect the ousted Catalan leader to return to Spain in the coming weeks, and certainly not for questioning by a Spanish national court judge on Thursday. A Catalan regional parliament vote in favor of independence last Friday led the Spanish government to trigger unprecedented constitutional measures to take control of Catalan affairs, firing the Catalan regional leadership. In his appearance Tuesday, Puigdemont said he and the five ousted regional Catalan government colleagues who accompanied him there were seeking “freedom and safety” from Spanish authorities. A judge has ordered them to appear for questioning on Thursday in Madrid. The investigating magistrate could order their arrest as early as Friday, regardless of whether they show up in court.

Source: Egypt Independent November 01, 2017 10:07 UTC