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Carles Puigdemont, the former leader of Spain's Catalonia region, called on Catalans to keep up their independence struggle against an increasingly "authoritarian" Spain in "non-violent and civilized" ways, according to a BBC report on Sunday.
It was Puigdemont's first remarks made public since being detained in Germany on a European arrest warrant a week ago. Speaking in an audio message recorded by a German member of parliament who had visited him in prison, Puigdemont said Catalans "have to go on" defending their rights "recognized by the UN," stressing that they have the right to decide their future.
Demonstrators calling for the release of former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont hold a banner reading "Freedom for the Catalan Political Prisoners" in front of the prison of Neumuenster in northern Germany, March 28, 2018.
"We cannot let down our guard before a state that is becoming more and more authoritarian and that is curtailing our rights," he said. "Let's go on doing things the way we do them, which is non-violent and civilized as we have shown the world in the past years. That is how Catalans do things."
Wanted in Spain for sedition and rebellion over his role in Catalonia's independence referendum last year, Puigdemont faces extradition from Germany, where judges have 60 days to decide whether to hand him over.
Catalonia's pro-independence government held an independence referendum on October 1, 2017, which was deemed illegal by Spain and boycotted by many pro-unity voters. The region's leaders declared independence on October 27, leading to Madrid's imposition of direct rule on the autonomous region and dissolution of the Catalan parliament.
Puigdemont had been living in self-imposed exile in Belgium before visiting Finland and Germany recently.
He could face an imprisonment of up to 30 years if convicted in Spain.
(CGTN)
