Berlin, March 26 (RHC)-- Former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont was due to appear in a German court on Monday as Spain sought to extradite him over Catalonia´s independence fight.
Puigdemont was detained in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein on Sunday, five months after going into self-imposed exile from Spain, where he faces charges of sedition, rebellion and embezzlement which could lead to 25 years in prison.
Puigdemont had entered Germany from Denmark after leaving Finland on Friday, where he had attended a conference.
A demonstration in Barcelona against his arrest by tens of thousands of Catalans tipped over into clashes with police in which dozens of people were injured.
Spain’s Supreme Court ruled on Friday that 25 Catalan leaders, including Puigdemont, would be tried for rebellion, embezzlement or disobeying the state relating a referendum held in Catalonia last October which called for the wealthy northeastern region to separate from Spain.