what now for puigdemont in belgium
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today
Arab Today, arab today
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today

What now for Puigdemont in Belgium?

Arab Today, arab today

Arab Today, arab today What now for Puigdemont in Belgium?

Carles Puigdemont and four of his allies turned themselves in to Belgian police on Sunday
Brussels - Arab Today

Catalonia's deposed separatist leader Carles Puigdemont and four of his allies turned themselves in to Belgian police on Sunday ahead of a court appearance to decide whether they should be extradited to Spain.

A judge will decide whether to detain or release them after warrants were issued for their arrest on charges of rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds following the Catalan separatists' push to break away from Spain.

- What would the arrest warrant mean? -

European arrest warrants were introduced in 2004 to replace lengthy extradition processes within the EU, making it easier to return fugitives suspected of serious crimes.

They can be issued for crimes where the maximum penalty is at least one year in prison or where the fugitive has already been sentenced to at least four months in prison.

The judicial authority and police in the receiving country, in this case Belgium, are sent the warrant and tasked with arresting and returning the suspect.

After arresting the suspect, the country has a maximum of 60 days to send him or her back, though in practice most people held under European arrest warrants are returned much more quickly.

Of the 140,000 such arrest warrants issued around Europe between 2005 and 2014, 38 percent of suspects were found, of whom nearly three-quarters were sent back, official EU figures show.

- Could Belgium reject it? -

In Puigdemont’s case, the rebellion charge can bring a 30-year sentence, and Belgian lawyer Maxime Home said that if the warrant was issued "there would be very little room for Belgium to refuse it."

There are avenues of appeal but they succeed "extremely rarely", Home told AFP.

"The basic idea with the European arrest warrant is that you have confidence in the fundamental rights situation in the issuing country. With Spain, you're not talking about a country that practises torture," Home said.

Puigdemont has denounced the Spanish legal proceedings as a "political trial" seeking to "punish ideas".

Anne Weyembergh, an expert in European law at the Free University of Brussels, said an arrest warrant could in theory be refused on the grounds that it would go against fundamental rights, but cautioned that such cases were very rare.

"These are really exceptional cases. I only know of one in Belgium," she said. "It would be necessary for Puigdemont and his lawyer to show that there was a genuine threat to his fundamental rights."

- Could he be questioned in Belgium? -

Puigdemont’s Belgian lawyer Paul Bekaert has said his client will not go to Spain and suggested the Spanish authorities question him in Belgium instead.

This can be done if a Spanish judge makes a formal request -- either by Madrid providing a list of questions to be put by a Belgian police officer or by sending a judge to ask the questions in person.

- Could Puigdemont claim asylum? -

EU citizens can claim asylum in Belgium, according to the country's GRA refugee agency.

But Puigdemont has denied planning to do so, and even if he did, the chances of success would seem to be very slight.

"It's quite exceptional to obtain asylum for a citizen of a European Union country," Dirk Van Den Bulck of the GRA told FORT television.

Belgium will consider asylum applications from other EU countries, but works on the principle that members of the bloc are safe and respect human rights. In the last five years Belgium has not granted asylum to any EU citizens.

Source:AFP

arabstoday
arabstoday

GMT 12:11 2017 Saturday ,04 November

What next in the Catalan crisis?

GMT 13:43 2017 Wednesday ,01 November

What next in the Catalan crisis?

GMT 13:42 2017 Thursday ,05 October

What next as Catalan crisis escalates?

GMT 03:49 2017 Wednesday ,04 October

'Listen to us', Catalans plead in mass protest
Arab Today, arab today

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

what now for puigdemont in belgium what now for puigdemont in belgium

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

what now for puigdemont in belgium what now for puigdemont in belgium

 



GMT 09:16 2017 Wednesday ,13 December

Cape wearing tips

GMT 20:49 2017 Monday ,21 August

South Asia floods claim more than 750 lives

GMT 19:06 2016 Saturday ,10 December

IOF Close Al-Nabi Saleh Village's Entrance

GMT 18:01 2017 Wednesday ,22 February

Abu Sayyaf ‘likely’ behind Vietnam freighter attack

GMT 06:41 2017 Sunday ,03 December

Hamas threatens 'intifada' over US moves on Jerusalem

GMT 16:17 2017 Saturday ,21 January

BMW 7 series crosses 5,000 unit mark in 2016

GMT 12:17 2016 Wednesday ,24 February

United Technologies nixes Honeywell merger

GMT 23:37 2017 Monday ,31 July

Saudi Arabia sanctions Hezbollah member

GMT 05:45 2018 Saturday ,29 September

Abdullah bin Zayed hosts official reception in New York

GMT 04:12 2018 Friday ,12 January

Saudi-led coalition says Yemen rebels threat

GMT 11:18 2014 Monday ,22 December

Richard Ward adds to The Chelsea Collection

GMT 21:20 2017 Monday ,06 February

UN resumes food air drops in Deir Ezzor

GMT 22:24 2017 Friday ,15 December

HRH Premier thanked by Cambodian counterpart

GMT 02:11 2017 Monday ,23 October

Oct24/Nov22

GMT 21:31 2017 Monday ,11 December

HM King congratulates Burkinabe President

GMT 20:22 2017 Monday ,23 October

EU deplores attack against police
Arab Today, arab today
 
 Arab Today Facebook,arab today facebook  Arab Today Twitter,arab today twitter Arab Today Rss,arab today rss  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
arabstoday, Arabstoday, Arabstoday