Catalonia: In Brussels, MP Clara Ponsati denounced the inaction of the European Parliament 24 hours after her arrest in Barcelona.

It was before the European Parliament, in plenary session, that Clara Ponsati denounced the inaction of this institution the day after her “illegal arrest” on a Barcelona street where she had been dating for the first time since October 2017.

Former Minister of Education of the Government of Catalonia Carles Puigdemont has been in exile for 5 years due to her trial for insubordination in the context of organizing the illegal referendum on self-determination on October 1, 2017. He was released after a few hours with a summons to appear before the Spanish Supreme Court on April 24 April.

This Wednesday, Clara Ponsati brought charges against the European Parliament, and especially its president, Roberta Metsola, for failing to do anything to defend her immunity after her arrest, and she was immediately informed of this.

The Legal Committee headed by a Spaniard in the crossfire

“I have not received any response and the presidency has done nothing but refer the case bureaucratically to the Legal Affairs Committee (JURI),” Ponsati revealed. The JURI Committee, chaired by Spaniard Adrián Vázquez, deputy of the Ciudadanos party known for its anti-independence.

“I wonder if this failure to defend immunity after the illegal arrest of a Member of Parliament, which has not happened in the history of this House, is the policy of the Presidency or is it a position that we Catalans hold for us?” concluded MEP of Junts in her side-by-side speech Carles Puigdemont and Tony ComynOther deputies were threatened with arrest upon their return to Spain.

Before the European Parliament, Diana Ripa, MEP of the ERC (the left-wing Independence Party of Catalonia), criticized Ponsati’s arrest and asked Metsola to defend his immunity. “Demand Spanish justice to comply definitively with European legality.”

separatist theatre

During this session, other Spanish MPs criticized Ponsati’s stance. “Here we all know that they are on the run, that they have broken the law and must be subjected to Spanish justice. Enough with separatist theatre,” said Dolors Montserrat of Party Popular. Later, Jordi Cañas of Ciudadanos, reprimanded Mezzola for giving the floor to Ponsati to make it a “political show”.

On the merits of the case, Clara Ponsati’s lawyer has informed the Supreme Court judge, Pablo Larena, that he does not expect the MEP to appear on April 24 since she has no intention of attending his summons.