Puigdemont asks Supreme Court to clarify whether it has suspended arrest warrant

BarcelonaThe defenses of former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont, Toni Comín and Clara Ponsatí have sent a request to the Spanish Supreme Court (SSC) to clarify whether it has suspended arrest warrants against them after the European General Court (EGC) ruled last Friday that the European arrest arrest warrant had been suspended as a result of the preliminary questions raised by SSC magistrate Pablo Llarena. In a letter addressed to the SSC, the former president asks whether they have "dictated the appropriate instructions to make the suspension [of the arrest warrants] effective" and asks for a copy of the notifications that have been sent to the State's security forces, the Schengen Information System and Interpol.

In fact, from the brief submitted by Puigdemont's defense, Gonzalo Boye, it is clear that he considers that not only have the arrest warrants been suspended but the entire criminal procedure. They claim to be informed whether "in accordance with the principle of loyal cooperation, the appropriate instructions have been issued to make effective the suspension of the present criminal proceedings [on the Referendum], especially in that relating to the different arrest warrants issued in this criminal case," says the letter.

In its resolution, the EGC argued that the three MEPs do not enjoy parliamentary immunity because the European arrest warrants issued by the magistrate Pablo Llarena against them have been suspended. "They are not at risk of being handed over to the Spanish authorities at this stage," the court assured, because they maintain immunity for "their travel to the place where Parliament meets". A fact that, according to the European justice, was proved by Puigdemont's arrest and subsequent release in Italy.

JxCat spokeswoman Elsa Artadi has referred to this issue during the party press conference to assess current political affairs, and demanded the Spanish government comply with the European court rulings. "Will [Spain] continue to disobey and do as Poland, which does not comply with European rulings?", Artadi asked, in addition to addressing the Spanish executive asking it to "open its eyes". Artadi has already advanced that JxCat's group in the Spanish parliament will register questions to the government to force them to act on this issue.

Does this mean, however, that Puigdemont has sufficient guarantees to return to Spanish territory? Artadi has avoided this issue. "It does not change the situation, it revalidates it," she said. "We have the same guarantees as six months ago," she added, asserting that the latest decision of the EGC is another decision against the Spanish justice system that "violates" European laws.