The Catalan pro-independence MEP Clara Ponsatí has said this Tuesday that she will only return to Spain when it "suits" her, not when the Supreme Court demands it. On social media, Ponsatí explained that this Tuesday, June 27th, she was planning to present her latest book in the city of Lleida; however, the possibility of it turning into "another media circus", like the last time she came to Catalonia, is "a gift" that she is not ready to give to judge Pablo Llarena.
"For him to block me with another police circus is a gift I will not give to Llarena. It is inconvenient to have to dodge pests, but I do not plan to put my schedule in the hands of a fanatic," tweeted Ponsatí. In the same thread on Twitter, the MEP remarked: "The arrest warrant is again illegal. The judges of the Supreme Court want me to testify at their convenience, including electoral interests. Right now I have another schedule. I will put my feet on the territory when it suits me".
Avui havia de presentar el meu llibre a Lleida aprofitant que anava a visitar @PabloHasel a la presó. Que m'ho impedís amb un altre circ policial és un regal que no li faré, a Llarena. És incòmode haver d'esquivar borinots però la meva agenda no la penso cedir a un fanàtic.
— Clara Ponsatí (@ClaraPonsati) June 27, 2023
A més, l'ordre de detenció torna a ser il·legal. Els jutges del Suprem em volen fer declarar a la seva conveniència, incloent-hi interessos electorals. Jo tinc una altra agenda ara mateix. Trepitjaré el territori on la policia obeeix les seves ordres quan a mi em vagi bé.
— Clara Ponsatí (@ClaraPonsati) June 27, 2023
On Monday, it was announced that the presentation of Clara Ponsatí's memoir, titled 'Molts i ningú' ("Many and No-one"), at the La Fatal bookstore in Lleida had been suspended. On the bookstore's official website, it was noted that Ponsatí "has in the end taken the decision not to travel" to Catalonia due to "the new judicial situation known to all".
Clara Ponsatí's arrest warrant
On June 21st, Judge Llarena issued a Spanish arrest warrant against Ponsatí considering that she had "willfully and unjustifiably" neglected her obligation to appear before the Supreme Court on April 24th to be notified of her prosecution for an alleged offence of disobedience on October 1st, 2017. In a statement, Llarena pointed out that the MEP did not justify with "any legitimate cause" her failure to appear before the Spanish court. Ponsatí's lawyer, Gonzalo Boye, has already announced that he will appeal against this decision.