EU Court Withdraws Parliamentary Immunity From Catalan Leaders

On Wednesday, the European Union General Court (EGC) withdrew the parliamentary immunity of former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont and his advisers Toni Comin and Clara Ponsati.

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In justifying its decision, the Court held that the European Parliament did not have to analyze the legality of the Spanish judicial process against the independence leaders because such an issue is "an exclusive competence of the national authorities”.

Puigdemont, Comin, and Ponsati are claimed by the Spanish authorities due to their participation in holding a pro-independence referendum on October 1, 2017.

Despite having lost immunity, Puigdemont assured that he will go to Strasbourg (France) to participate in the plenary session of the European Parliament next week.

Comin assured that the EGC decision "changes relatively little" in their situation because "winning did not mean that we could return free to Catalonia and losing does not mean being extradited to a Spanish prison immediately."

"Today we have not had the decision that we were waiting for and for which we have worked very hard," Puigdemont said and recalled that they have not won any appeal before the Court so far.

However, the Catalan pro-independence leader expects a favorable sentence in the Court of Justice of the European Union because "we are talking about the rights of dissidents who defend causes that can make States uncomfortable."

"After over five years of trials and espionage, it has been shown that we did not traffic in drugs or buy weapons. Basically, we traffic in referendums and voting," he pointed out ironically about the accusations of the Spanish state against them.

Gonzalo Boye, the lawyer for the pro-independence leaders, foresees that Supreme Court Judge Pablo Llarena will soon issue a new Euro-order. Therefore, they will not only appeal the sentence but also request precautionary measures.