Ex-Catalan President Puigdemont Ordered Free on Bail in Germany

A German court has rejected “rebellion” as grounds to extradite Catalonia’s ex-leader Carles Puigdemont and ordered his release on bail.

The Schleswig-Holstein court said he could still face corruption charges in Spain, and it has only suspended extradition – not ruled it out.

He was arrested in the north German region last month, after Spain issued a European Arrest Warrant.

Spain charged top Catalan separatists over October’s independence referendum.

The court has been considering what to do about a Spanish extradition request for MrPuigdemont for more than a week.

Spain has accused the former Catalan president of rebellion, but the court concluded that the closest equivalent to this in German law was high treason.

But it ruled that in MrPuigdemont’s case there was no element of violence, so the charge was inadmissible.

However, the court in the northern city of Schleswig said there could be a case to answer for misusing public funds last October to hold an unauthorized independence referendum.

It has asked for further information on these charges and set bail at 75,000 euros (£65,000; $90,000).