Aamer Anwar

Ms Ponsatí was charged in Spain with sedition for her role in Catalonia’s independence referendum in 2017, carrying a possible prison sentence of up to 15 years.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday heard that she no longer lives in Scotland, having relocated to Belgium following her election as a member of the European Parliament in 2019.

Solicitor Aamer Anwar said: “We appeared at court on Clara’s behalf. The court had already anticipated that Clara Ponsati was no longer in Scotland’s jurisdiction and it was agreed that she should be discharged as a requested person and these court proceedings for her extradition have finally been brought to an end.”

He added: “On each and every occasion that Clara and the Catalan exiles have taken on the might of the Spanish state they have won, whilst Spain has failed to crush the spirit of the Catalan people.

“No rational argument has been presented by Spain which justifies the criminalisation of its citizens, who wish to peacefully argue for a different form of government or simply the right to self-determination, recognised in terms of Charter of the United Nations.

“In conclusion, Clara wishes to thank the many people in Scotland as well as those across Europe, who have given her so much love, support and solidarity through difficult times and hopes that one day she can return from political exile to her beloved Catalonia.”