Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 4 November 2017
Spain issues arrest warrant for ousted Catalan leader, aides

in the hands of an investi- would probably not leave
gating judge,” spokesman Belgium before early Janu-
Eric Van Der Sijpt told The ary, well after the elections.
Associated Press. In her decision on Friday,
“We are not in any hurry.” Judge Carmen Lamela
Puigdemont and the four said that Puigdemont “ap-
others are being sought for parently is in Belgium” and
five different crimes, includ- accused him of “leading
ing rebellion, sedition and the mobilization of the pro-
embezzlement in a Spanish independence sectors of
investigation into their roles the population to act in
in pushing for secession for support of the illegal refer-
Catalonia.The officials flew endum and thus the seces-
to Brussels after Spanish sion process outside the le-
authorities removed Puig- gal channels to reform the
demont and his Cabinet constitution.”Spain says the
from office on Saturday for only legal way to achieve
declaring independence secession is by reforming
for Catalonia. The Span- Spain’s 1978 Constitution
ish government has also with an ample majority in
called an early regional the national parliament.
election for Dec. 21. The constitution says the
Puigdemont told Belgian country is “indivisible” and
Sacked Catalonian President Carles Puigdemont arrives for a press conference in Brussels. A state broadcaster that he doesn’t allow regional
Spanish judge issued an international arrest warrant on Friday for former members of the Catalan was in Belgium “ready to votes on sovereignty.The
Cabinet who were last seen in Brussels, including Puigdemont.
(AP Photo/Olivier Matthys) be a candidate” in the arrest warrant came a
early polls and because he day after the same judge
By ARITZ PARRA was prepared to run for his Puigdemont’s Belgian law- had lost faith in the Spanish jailed nine former members
LORNE COOK old job even while battling yer did not answer calls re- justice system. of Puigdemont’s separat-
Associated Press extradition in Belgium. questing comment, but has “We can run a campaign ist government. All mem-
MADRID (AP) — The National Court judge said that his client will fight anywhere because we’re bers of the ousted Cabinet
A Spanish judge issued an filed the request with the extradition to Spain without in a globalized world,” he were ordered to appear at
international arrest warrant Belgian prosecutor to de- seeking political asylum. told RTBF, adding that he Spain’s National Court on
on Friday for former mem- tain Puigdemont and his Belgian federal prosecutors was not in Belgium to “Bel- Thursday to answer ques-
bers of the Catalan Cabi- four aides, and issued sep- said they had received the gianize Catalan politics.” tions in a rebellion investiga-
net who were last seen in arate international search arrest warrant and could “I did not flee, but it’s im- tion. Five of them, including
Brussels, including the oust- and arrest warrants to alert question Puigdemont in possible to properly pre- Puigdemont, didn’t show
ed separatist leader Carles Interpol in case they flee coming days. pare” a legal defense up.Spanish prosecutors
Puigdemont, who said he Belgium. “We will study it, and put it while in Spain, he told the want to charge members
broadcaster. of the dismissed regional
If Belgium acts on the in- government —as well as six
ternational warrant issued additional members of the
by Spain and arrests him, regional parliament— for
Puigdemont would have promoting official steps to
to be brought before an declaring Catalonia’s in-
investigating judge within dependence.Meanwhile,
24 hours. His extradition a panel of National Court
procedure would take 15 judges on Friday rejected
days, Belgian legal experts an appeal seeking the re-
say. But should Puigde- lease of two separatist ac-
mont appeal, that pro- tivists who were jailed last
cess could take a further month in a separate sedi-
45 days, meaning that he tion investigation.q
Belgium mayor forces Dutch
leader Wilders to cancel trip

BRUSSELS (AP) — Dutch far- the suicide bomb attacks
right leader Geert Wilders on the Brussels airport and
has cancelled his trip subway in March 2016 lived
through a Muslim-majority in or traveled through Mo-
neighborhood of Brus- lenbeek.
sels after a Belgian mayor Belgian police and the
banned him from entering. army have remained on
Wilders and Belgian anti- high alert for almost two
immigrant politician Filip years.
Dewinter had planned to Molenbeek Mayor Fran-
tour the Molenbeek neigh- coise Schepmans issued
borhood just after Friday an order Thursday saying
Muslim prayers. the planned visit could not
Some of the extremists take place “to avoid any
linked to the Paris massa- predictable threat to order
cres in November 2015 and and public peace.”q