EU lawmakers lift the immunity of 3 Catalan separatists

Associated Press
Updated ·1 min read

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Parliament on Tuesday voted to lift the immunity of the former president of Spain’s Catalonia region, Carles Puigdemont, and two of his associates, a move that could pave the way for their extradition.

In the decision on Puigdemont, 400 legislators voted for the waiver of immunity, 248 were against and 45 abstained.

The measures to lift the immunity of his associates — former Catalan health minister Toni Comin and former regional education minister Clara Ponsati — were by largely similar margins.

Puigdemont and a number of his colleagues fled to Belgium in October 2017, fearing arrest after holding an independence referendum for the northeastern region of Catalonia that the Spanish government said was illegal.

In 2019, Puigdemont, Comin and Ponsati won seats in the European Parliament and were afforded protection as members of the EU assembly.

Puigdemont’s legal team is planning to appeal losing his immunity to the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg.

The parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee had already voted 15-8 with two abstentions last month to recommend waiving their immunity.