Belgian judge delays decision on warrant for ex-Catalan leader

A Belgian judge made no ruling on Friday on a European arrest warrant issued by Spain for ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, his lawyer said after a court hearing in Brussels, despite Belgian prosecutors demanding the warrant be exercised.


Belgian prosecutors had asked the judge Friday to extradite the axed Catalan separatist leader to face charges over his region’s independence drive.

Instead, the case for Puigdemont’s defence will be made at a hearing early next month.

“We will make our case on December 4. The prosecutor has asked for the extradition warrant to be exercised. Nothing has been decided today,” Paul Bekaert told reporters outside the main Brussels court.

The prosecutor had determined that according to Belgian law Puigdemont and four of his former ministers who travelled with him to Brussels were charged with conspiracy by public officials, Bekaert added.

Under the Spanish warrant, all five faced charges of rebellion and sedition...
 (FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
 17/11/17