Deposed Catalan leader 'not seeking Belgium asylum'

Catalonia's deposed leader Carles Puigdemont said on Tuesday that he was not in Brussels to apply for political asylum, in his first public remarks since Spain filed charges over his independence crusade.

Puigdemont slammed the Spanish government as violent and oppressive and said he had travelled to Brussels to be able to "act with freedom and safety", CNN reported.

"I am not here to demand political asylum. I am here in Brussels as the capital of Europe," he told reporters at the Belgian press club.

His comments came just hours after his lawyer Paul Bakaert said that Puigdemont was mulling applying for protection in the country. Members of his former government travelled with him.

Puigdemont arrived in Brussels on Monday, the same day when Spanish chief prosecutor Jose Manuel Maza said he would seek charges of rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds against the ousted leader and several members of his former government.

The charge of rebellion carries a maximum jail term of 30 years.

Spain has endured a month-long political firestorm since Catalonia held an independence referendum on October 1. The dispute came to a head on last week when the Catalan Parliament declared unilateral independence, prompting Madrid to sack the region's government and impose direct rule.

--IANS

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