Catalan ex-minister Ponsati freed on bail after Scotland arrest

Former Catalan minister Clara Ponsati was released on bail when she appeared in court in Scotland on Thursday in connection with a Spanish extradition request for her to be tried with sedition.

The 62-year-old ex-minister handed herself in at a police station in the Scottish capital, Edinburgh, before a scheduled hearing arising from her role in Catalonia's unilateral bid for independence.

Her lawyer, Aamer Anwar, said outside Edinburgh Sheriff Court his client had been released on bail pending another hearing on December 12 and a full hearing in early 2020.

"Clara submits that she should not be extradited for a show trial in the (Spanish) Supreme Court, where she believes the only verdict would be one of guilt," he told reporters.

"We will submit that Clara's human rights cannot be guaranteed in the Spanish courts," he added.

"Sedition is the archaic offence invented in the 16th century (royal) courts of Europe by kings and queens to stop the backlash from people demanding their freedom. Sadly for Spain, in Scotland, like most democracies, the crime of sedition no longer exists."