Belgian Court Leaves 2 Catalan Politicians At Large Under Their Own Recognizance - Reports

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th November, 2019) A Belgian court ruled not to detain two former members of the regional government of Spain's Catalonia, who are wanted by Madrid over their role in the 2017 Catalan independence referendum, and leave them at large until the next hearing under their own recognizance, media have reported.

On Tuesday, a Spanish court issued international arrest warrants for three former Catalan government officials � Clara Ponsati (who currently lives in the United Kingdom), Toni Comin and Luis Puig (both live in exiles in Belgium).

La Vanguardia reported that on Thursday, Comin and Puig arrived in the Brussels prosecutors' office inside a police vehicle. However, after preliminary hearings, the court decided to leave them at large. Still, the Catalan politicians are prohibited from leaving Belgium.

The next week, a judge will schedule a date for hearings on the merits.

According to the reports, Comin and Puig sought their case to be merged with the case of former Catalan government head Carles Puigdemont. Hearings in Puigdemont's case are planned for December 16.

Members of Puigdemont's government have been facing various charges, from sedition to embezzlement, over their role in holding the referendum, which the Spanish central government has not authorized.