The former president of Catalonia and four former members of his cabinet, surrendered to the Belgian police in Brussels on Sunday after a European Arrest Warrant was acted on and arrests were imminent.
All have been held in custody while the extradition process id being followed. If the politicians are sent back to Spain, they face serious charges relating to the illegal independence referendum held on October 1st, in Catalonia.
Puigdemont and his colleagues flew to Belgium last Monday after the government in Madrid sacked the entire Catalan government and imposed direct rule in retaliation for the illegal October 1st referendum on Catalonian independence.
Carles Puigdemont, Antoni Comín, Clara Ponsatí, Lluís Puig and Meritxell Serret, “were deprived of their liberty at 09:17" on Sunday, according to the Belgian Public Prosecutor's spokesman, Guilles de Dejemeppe, and were up before an examining magistrate this afternoon who has 24-hours in which to decide what to do with the detainees.
The Belgian judge could order pre-trial detention, release them under "certain conditions," or reject the arrest warrant.
The former members of the Catalonian government and six MPs in the Catalan parliament, have been accused of rebellion, sedition and misappropriation of funds and face up to 30-years in prison.
"If any of the parties involved are not in agreement with the decision, they can appeal to the Belgian court of appeal, which will have 15-days to make a decision," the Public Prosecutor added.
The Catalonian politicians theoretically can remain in Belgium for the next 60 days, with a 30-day extension in exceptional cases, of which this well might be one.
On Saturday, Puigdemont said he was willing to be helpful, "We are prepared to cooperate fully with the Belgian justice system following the European Arrest Warrant issued by Spain."
Back in Madrid, eight former Catalonian MPs, including the former Generalitat vice-president, Oriol Junqueras, are being held in jail after appearing before the National Court in Madrid on November 2nd.
Mariano Rajoy’s government, supported by his largest opposition party, announced the dissolution of the Catalonian parliament, the scheduling of regional elections for December 21st and the dismissal of the entire Catalan government, among other measures when he took control of the break-away region.
Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Jan Jambon said that in addition to Spanish laws there is the European convention on human rights and international law.
The Vice-President of the European People's Party in Belgium, Esteban Gonzalez Pons, already has criticized Jambon's words, saying they are "irresponsible and dangerous" and jeopardise "the necessary cooperation between EU states."
But in Belgium, former Prime Minister Elio di Rupio also criticised the "authoritarian Francoist" behavior with which Mariano Rajoy’s government has responded to the Catalan independence movement.
"I am against Puigdemont's policy, but I would be very shocked if the Belgian justice system let him go to jail," Di Rupio wrote in a Twitter message.
