Former Catalan minister Clara Ponsati, who is wanted by Spain for her role in last year’s independence bid, surrendered to Scottish police Wednesday to face arrest under a European warrant.
Lawyers for Ponsati, a professor at the University of St Andrews, said they will “robustly” reject charges of violent rebellion and misappropriation of public funds for helping to organize last year’s independence referendum in Catalonia, which the government in Madrid deemed illegal.
Ponsati was expected to appear in court later on Wednesday for a preliminary extradition hearing where she will seek to be released on bail pending a full hearing.
She has received support from members of the Scottish National Party (SNP), which runs the devolved government in Edinburgh, which has condemned arrest warrants issued for the Catalan politicians.
However, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has insisted she cannot intervene in an independent legal extradition process.