A Belgian court is to consider whether to send Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont back to Spain to face charges of rebellion and sedition over his region’s independence drive.
Madrid issued a European arrest warrant for Puigdemont and four of his former ministers after they fled to Brussels last month and ignored a summons to appear before a Spanish judge, claiming they would not get a fair trial.
A judge in Brussels will hear arguments behind closed doors from prosecutors and lawyers for the Catalan separatists over Spain’s extradition request in the first round of what could become a protracted courtroom battle, with both sides expected to appeal if they lose.
A prolonged case could leave Puigdemont and his colleagues still in Belgium when Catalonia goes to the polls on 21 December for an election ordered by Madrid to “restore normality” to the north-eastern region.