BRUSSELS: A court in Belgium on Friday pushed back the extradition arguments of ex-Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and four allies until at least Dec 4, likely keeping the secessionist rebels in Belgium right through Catalonia’s regional election campaign.

The court hearing in Brussels for the five Catalans is the latest step in their flight from Spain to Brussels and their refusal to return to face rebellion and sedition charges that could land them in jail for 25 years.

Before the court session, the prime ministers of Spain and Belgium discussed their bilateral relations, which have been strained over the case of the Catalan officials who are wanted on a Spanish arrest warrant.

Puigdemont lawyer Paul Bekaert said after the first court session on Friday that “we will argue the case on Dec 4.” Whatever decision is made at that stage, two appeals will be possible and a final ruling could well only come only after the Dec 21 election day in Catalonia. Bekaert said even though the prosecutor asked for the execution of the extradition request from Spain for the five, the defence lawyers could still give written arguments until early next month. “So nothing has been decided today,” he said.

The prosecutor said, according to Belgian law, there was no corruption on the part of the Catalan five but a “conspiracy of civil servants.” And he added that for a refusal to fully commit to their jobs “there can be no extradition.” He did not address Spain’s rebellion and sedition charges.

The Belgian government has steadfastly said that it can’t intervene in Spain’s extradition request since it’s up to the country’s independent judiciary to make a decision. Friday’s court decision can still be appealed.

“It is a judicial case based on the separation of powers. It is up to the judicial authorities,” Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said after meeting with his Spanish counterpart Mariano Rajoy on the sidelines of the European Union summit in Goteborg, Sweden.

Michel’s spokesman, Barend Leyts, said the talks were “constructive” and didn’t centre on the Catalan issue. Instead the two leaders discussed Belgium’s candidacy for an EU top police chief and the upcoming relocation of EU agencies from Britain, among other issues. But the extradition issue continued to create unease. Spain supplied the Belgian prosecutor with information detailing the jail conditions for Puigdemont and the four others should they be extradited.

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2017