The Scottish justice system will hold a hearing tomorrow to decide whether to continue with the Spanish extradition process against MEP Clara Ponsatí, or to dissociate itself from the case because the councillor now lives in Belgium, as reported by lawyer Aamer Anwar.
The same lawyer announced online that the hearing will take place tomorrow, Thursday, and ended with some optimistic words. "We will fight to the end, and we will win!" he said. He also claimed that "Clara has been free for 3 years, but she is still a political exile”.
Minister Clara Ponsatí, who is still facing an extradition request in Scotland, issued by Spain due to the independence process in Catalonia, has received the support of a large part of the Scottish public and institutions. After voluntarily turning herself in at an Edinburgh police station in 2018, where she was arrested in application of the European arrest warrant issued by the Spanish justice system, Ponsatí was released, although her passport was withdrawn as a precautionary measure.
Ponsatí was in Scotland, working as a lecturer at the University of St Andrews, Scotland's oldest higher education institution, where she was already a lecturer before becoming a politician.
The Scottish National Party (SNP), which governs in Scotland, has always openly rejected the position of the Spanish state in the Catalan conflict. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has repeatedly expressed her "firm opposition" to the decision of Mariano Rajoy's government to "search for and imprison pro-independence politicians", which was later followed by Pedro Sánchez until the granting of pardons to prisoners under Spanish administration earlier this year. Sturgeon has always stressed that she respects the independence of the Scottish judiciary, which is not dependent on the English one.
Scotish support for Clara Ponsatí | Catalans for Yes
Ponsatí's defence generates a great deal of sympathy among some of the Scottish citizens, with strong support from Scottish National Party voters. On several occasions, Scottish citizens have mobilised in favour of the councillor, as was seen when she appeared before a first instance court.
This issue has also reached the Scottish press, which on several occasions has shown its support for the minister. The National newspaper has published several front-page stories on Ponsatí, denouncing her persecution.
The newspaper has stated on several occasions that "the Scots defend the Catalan teacher" and has denounced that "Spain shows the shadow of Franco". "You can't keep our Clara!", headlined The National. In this way, the Scottish press took up Ponsatí's cause and denounced the attempt to extradite her.
The National's front-page in 2018
The support for Ponsatí has not ended here: the university community of Saint Andrews also came to the professor’s defense. Since the Spanish Supreme Court issued the European arrest warrant for Ponsatí, the academic community at St Andrews has publicly expressed its support for her.
University president Sally Mapstone said the institution is "committed to defending freedom of expression" and "deeply concerned about the events, the motives and their potential consequences".