Spain's Supreme Court refuses to order Catalan ex-president's arrest

Madrid [Spain], Jan.22 (ANI): The Supreme Court of Spain has rejected a request from prosecutors to reactivate the international arrest warrant for deposed Catalonia president Carles Puigdemont after he flew to Denmark from Belgium to address conference there on Monday.

Puigdemont has been away from Spain since the end of October after being sacked by the Spanish government in Madrid.

He is, according to the Guardian, facing possible charges of rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds over his role in the push to split Catalonia from Spain.

It is said that Puigdemont will be arrested the moment he sets foot on Spanish soil.

The decision to reactivate the arrest warrant was postponed until the Catalan parliament is restored to normal activity, the court said in a statement on Monday.

Puigdemont is trying to return as Catalonia's president after December's snap election, in which secessionist parties retained their majority in the regional parliament.

The Spanish government assumed control of Catalonia on October 27, 2017 after Puigdemont's government held an illegal referendum and the Catalan parliament unilaterally declared independence, plunging Spain into its worst political crisis since its return to democracy four decades ago. (ANI with inputs)