A Swiss National Councillor has said that they are working to offer political asylum to Catalan president Carles Puigdemont. Andreas Glarner, member of the SVP (Swiss People's Party), told Swiss online newspaper Watson that Puigdemont "is a true refugee", "he is being persecuted for political reasons and so has earned asylum".
Glarner, a member of Switzerland's lower house, showed himself to be sympathetic with Puigdemont's claims and says that he finds "the wish for independence legitimate". He also expressed his limited confidence in how "respectable [the] Spanish judiciary" is.
The newspaper writes that "if the EU member-state Belgium shows solidarity with Spain, Switzerland could come into play as an option for Puigdemont". The president and four ministers, namely Toni Comín (Health), Meritxell Serret (Agriculture), Clara Ponsatí (Education) and Lluís Puig (Culture), are currently in Belgium. A judge of Spain's National Audience court has issued a European Arrest Warrant for the five. Now, Belgian prosecutors will study the case and a judge will summon the Catalans for an initial hearing after which they will decide whether to imprison them or leave them free whilst making a decision on extradition.