Belgium refuses for second time to extradite Puig

BrusselsThe Belgian justice system has once again refused to extradite the former Catalan Minister of Culture, Lluís Puig. The Belgian court of appeal has refused the European arrest warrant after the court of first instance in Brussels did so last August. It is now up to the public prosecutor's office to appeal against the judgement and send the case to the next instance - the Court of Cassation. Puig is subject to a European arrest warrant for misappropriation of public funds in connection with the October 2017 referendum."No more ideological persecution and no more repression. The fight for freedom continues everywhere," the former Minister posted on Twitter.

The Catalan politician had already appeared before the Court of Appeal for this case last December in a hearing that lasted about four hours. At the time he was optimistic about his chances, aware that the Belgian justice system had already proved him right once. The August ruling was the first to be handed down by a Belgian court on the Euro-orders of Catalan politicians. In that case the judge considered that the Supreme Court was not competent to send the euro warrant and therefore refused extradition.