European arrest warrant for Clara Ponsati withdrawn

Professor Ponsati, 61, an academic at St Andrews University, was arrested in March after she handed herself in to Police Scotland.

She had been made the subject of a European arrest warrant, with Spain seeking extradition on charges of violent rebellion as well as misappropriation of public funds for her role in the Catalan independence referendum last year.

An extradition hearing was due to take place in Edinburgh at the end of this month but a Spanish Supreme Court judge has now dropped the request.

The warrant was formally discharged at Edinburgh Sherriff Court yesterday.

Sheriff Nigel Ross told Professor Ponsati: “As you know the arrest warrant from Spain has been withdrawn and therefore it just remains for me formally to discharge you from the European Arrest Warrant.

“You are free to go.”

She said: “I am just determined to keep fighting for the freedom of all political prisoners, for civil rights in Catalonia and Spain and for the Republic of Catalonia.”

Her solicitor Aamer Anwar added: “Today the arrest warrant for Clara was officially withdrawn.

“This is a humiliating defeat for the Spanish state which since October 1 has unleashed a wave of repression, attacking the Catalan people, suspending their government, jailing or trying to jail independence leaders.

“The Spanish state systematically used law as a weapon of war to try and eliminate their Catalan opponents, but they have persecuted not just politicians but also teachers, comedians, poets and rappers.

“The decapitation and liquidation of the Catalan Government was the sole purpose of the European Arrest Warrant as Spain twisted and broke the law but in court after court across Europe Spain’s reputation has been damaged and ultimately the warrants were withdrawn for the fear of failure.”