Carles Puigdemont News

A German court on Thursday refused a request from Spain to extradite Catalonia`s ousted leader Carles Puigdemont.

Ousted Catalan president Carles Puigdemont was weighing up whether to return to the region, where he faces arrest, close aides said Saturday, after pro-independence parties defeated Spain`s central government in pivotal elections.

Belgian police said 45,000 protesters gathered in Brussels on Thursday to show support for Catalonia`s deposed regional president Carles Puigdemont and to seek EU support for the region`s independence drive.

Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on Tuesday said he hopes to defeat separatists in next month's Catalan election, which will be dominated by regional lawmakers' independence drive, calling for a "massive" turnout by voters.

Carles Puigdemont`s exile in Brussels is proving a stiff test for Belgium.

Catalonia`s sacked separatist leader Carles Puigdemont on Monday denounced Spain as an undemocratic country that "unjustly" jailed his colleagues, his first reaction since he was freed on bail in Belgium.

Puigdemont and four of his former ministers turned themselves into Belgian Police yesterday and they were released around 15 hours later.

Spanish prosecutors want to charge Puigdemont, holed up in Belgium, with rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds.

Carles Puigdemont will ignore a court order to return to Spain to answer charges over the region`s push for independence.

Spain`s top criminal court on Tuesday summoned Catalonia`s axed separatist leader for questioning, hours after he appeared in Brussels insisting he remained the "legitimate president" of a region now under direct rule from Madrid.

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said Tuesday that Carles Puigdemont would be "treated like any other European citizen".

The party of Catalonia's dismissed president Carles Puigdemont will run in a December regional election called by Spain's government.

The party of Catalonia's dismissed president Carles Puigdemont will run in a December regional election called by Spain's government.

Catalonia`s secessionist leader held back Thursday from calling a snap regional election.

Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont rejected the opportunity on Wednesday to speak at the Spanish Senate on Thursday to present his case over the application of Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution.

The Spanish government's plans to take unprecedented control of Catalonia's key affairs and halt that region's push for independence are "exceptional," the prime minister said today, adding that he hoped they would not last long.

The Spanish government on Sunday urged Catalans to accept direct control from Madrid and ignore instructions from the restive region`s secessionist leadership once it has been removed from power.

The Spanish government's actions do not respect the rule of law, Catalonia's leader said Saturday, after Madrid took drastic measures to stop the region from breaking away, announcing plans to dismiss its separatist executive.

Spain took drastic measures today to stop Catalonia from breaking away, announcing it will move to dismiss the region's separatist government and call fresh elections.

Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on Wednesday said he has asked Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont to confirm whether or not he has declared independence.