The German justice ministry has described the meeting held yesterday in the Hague between representatives of the German and Spanish public prosecution services to discuss the extradition of president Carles Puigdemont as "completely normal". A ministry spokesperson said that it's normal for prosecutors of EU member states to be in contact, by writing or telephone or in person, to deal with bilateral questions.
In response to a question in a press conference, the spokesperson said they had no information to provide about the meeting's contents because they weren't present. They did, however, explain that the German justice system requires more information to be able to carry out an extradition, as it "isn't automatic", but follows a "legal analysis" of the case.
Catalá says Puigdemont will be extradited
The Spanish justice minister, Rafael Catalá, has also commented on the meeting. In an interview with radio station Onda Cero, he said that he sent Spain's attorney general a message yesterday asking him about the meeting. The attorney general replied that it had gone "well", that it had been a "good working meeting" and that they were "satisfied". For Catalá, the meeting is the result of "international cooperation in these legal processes".
The minister implied there is still a chance of being able to extradite president Puigdemont on the charge of rebellion, and expressed hopes that the German court's decision "fits with what the Spanish justice system has said".
Cuevillas will ask for the meeting's minutes
The meeting between public prosecutors did not at all please Carles Puigdemont's lawyer, Jaume Alonso-Cuevillas, who, on TV programme Més 324, described it as "dramatising" things to appear like "they are doing meaningful things before the confusion among certain spheres of the Spanish state". Cuevillas added he plans to ask for a copy of the meeting's minutes.
The higher regional court of Schleswig-Holstein released Carles Puigdemont on bail after rejecting the charge of bail against him and requesting more information to consider his extradition on the charge of misuse of public funds.
According to Spanish legal sources, judge Pablo Llarena of the Supreme Court is studying the possibility of presenting an application for a preliminary ruling to the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg if the German court only accepts to extradite the president on the lesser charge of misuse of funds.