BRUSSELS: A Belgian court formally closed extradition proceedings against deposed Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont on Thursday, after Spain dropped the European arrest warrant against him.

Puigdemont and four of his deputies fled to Belgium in October to avoid charges of rebellion, sedition and misusing public money in relation to Catalonia’s independence drive, prompting Madrid to seek their return.

Paul Bekaert, Puigdem­ont’s Belgian lawyer, said the judge had declared the case to be “without merit” during a closed-door hearing.

Puigdemont and his cadres said they wanted to take their cause to the European level after Spain charged them, but the 28-nation bloc has been resolute in its support for the Spanish government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. The Catalan officials face arrest if they return to Spain over their role in the independence crisis.

Published in Dawn, December 15th, 2017