© 2025 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Judge In Spain Issues International Arrest Warrant For Catalan President

A banner reading "Freedom to political prisoners" hangs from City Hall in Barcelona as a protester waves a Catalan pro-independence Estelada flag during a demonstration on Friday to protest the detention of Catalan officials.
Josep Lago
/
AFP/Getty Images
A banner reading "Freedom to political prisoners" hangs from City Hall in Barcelona as a protester waves a Catalan pro-independence Estelada flag during a demonstration on Friday to protest the detention of Catalan officials.

A Spanish judge has issued an international arrest warrant for the president of Catalonia, currently in exile in Belgium after his government declared independence from Madrid.

Catalonia, formerly a semi-autonomous region of Spain, declared independence last week — followed promptly by Spain's dissolving the regional government and declaring direct rule.

The deposed president, Carles Puigdemont, fled to Brussels early this week as Spanish authorities prepared to make arrests in Barcelona.

On Friday, "Puigdemont happened to be giving an interview on Belgian TV when his arrest warrant was issued," Lauren Frayer reports for NPR from Madrid.

"I will not flee justice. I want justice," he said in French.

The Associated Press has more on the warrant:

"The National Court judge filed the request with the Belgian prosecutor to detain Puigdemont and his four aides and issued separate international search and arrest warrants to alert Interpol in case they flee Belgium.

"Puigdemont's Belgian lawyer did not answer calls requesting comment but has said that his client will fight extradition to Spain without seeking political asylum. Belgian federal prosecutors said they had received the arrest warrant and could question Puigdemont in coming days. ...

"Puigdemont and the four others are being sought for five different crimes, including rebellion, sedition and embezzlement in a Spanish investigation into their roles in pushing for secession for  Catalonia."

A Belgian official told the AP that the government is "not in any hurry" to determine their next step.

Frayer notes that other former government officials were jailed on Thursday.

"Nine former Catalan ministers were whisked off to separate jails around Madrid. Only one was released on bail," she says. "They're [awaiting] trial on rebellion charges."

Meanwhile, Frayer reports, "the streets of Barcelona have filled with protesters."

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Camila Flamiano Domonoske covers cars, energy and the future of mobility for NPR's Business Desk.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.