Puigdemont was wanted by Madrid on charges of lying and disobedience
Sacked by Spanish authorities, ex-Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont has turned himself in to Belgian police after an EU-wide arrest warrant was issued.
Four other cabinet members also turned themselves in at 9:17am local time on Sunday, according to the Belgian prosecutor's office.
The five are due to appear in court later in the day when an investigative judge will decide whether to detain or release them.
The arrest warrant , which Puigdemont is expected to contest, was issued on Friday. He was wanted by Madrid for "lying" and "disobedience".
Al Jazeera's David Chater, reporting from the Brussels prosecutor's office, said: "Puigdemont was saying all along he was going to cooperate with the judicial authorities here. He is now in the hands of police having surrendered himself.
"If [the five] give good grounds for resisting those arrest warrants, the case will go to another court ... This process could, under special circumstances, take up to 90 days."
Puigdemont earlier told Belgian media he did not flee Spain but travelled to Brussels to avoid violence. "Violence has never been an option for us," he had said.
Catalonia has been in political upheaval since October 1, when the region held a disputed referendum on independence from Spain.
For further details :
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/11/catalan-leader-turns-arrest-warrant-171105125713282.html
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