Judge: now no arrest Puigdemont

madrid - A Spanish chief judge charged with the possible issuance of a European arrest warrant against the fugitive Catalan ex-prime minister Carles Puigdemont, for the time being sees it. Spanish media reported Monday that the Public Prosecution Service wanted to have Puigdemont arrested Monday or Tuesday in Denmark, but the magistrate put a stop to it.

Puigdemont fled to Belgium at the end of October, after his illegal attempts to separate Catalonia had failed. He committed a series of offenses to that attempt. A European arrest warrant with which Puigdemont was arrested in Belgium was withdrawn by the Spanish judicial authorities in December.

Chances that the extradition procedure in Belgium would be beneficial for the appearance of Puigdemont would have been too great for Madrid. Many media therefore suggested that the Public Prosecutor would dare to arrest Puigdemont in Denmark.