Spain's Supreme Court has ordered independentist Anna Gabriel's arrest after she failed to attend a hearing today, regarding charges of “rebellion” and embezzlement, which have been made against her.
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Gabriel represented the Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP), an eco-socialist, independentist and anti-patriarchy party, in the Catalan Parliament between 2015 and 2017. She is also a history of law professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona.
Gabriel had said she wasn't going to attend the hearing since she considers the accusations to be politically motivated and believes she wouldn't have a fair trial.
The CUP supported her arguing the Supreme Court had already taken their decision even before the start of the trial.
"I would have never come to Switzerland but the situation has forced me to. I would like to think this case will be shelved and I can return home," Gabriel told Catalan television in an interview from Geneva today.
The public prosecutors were demanding an international arrest warrant so they could file for an extradition petition, but judge Pablo Llarena rejected and limited it to national territory.
Gabriel had stated before she wouldn't attend the hearing and was considering staying in Switzerland, where they don't process extradition demands when the accused is prosecuted for political reasons.
“I won't go to Madrid. There's the possibility that the judge will announce my extradition on the very same Wednesday, and then Switzerland will have to decide what to do with me,” Gabriel told the Swiss public broadcaster RTS.
“My lawyers and I have concluded the extradition would be illegal because there's no basis to hold me responsible for any crime, while one can argue with all evidence that there's a political prosecution,” said Gabriel.
The far-right party VOX is also getting involved in the process, and they just announced their lawyers would demand “harsh measures” on Gabriel.
Gabriel said she would ask for political asylum if necessary and intends to stay and work in Switzerland.
Swiss Justice Minister Spokesperson Folco Galli said that Switzerland “will probably not be able to process the extradition because the crimes she's being accused of are a priori political," based on previous agreements between non-EU member Switzerland and Spain via the European
Convention on Extradition, as well as the European Mutual Assistance Act, among other pacts governing cooperation.
Carles Puigdemont, the former president of the Catalan Generalitat, is facing a similar situation and can't go back to Spain.