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| - Spain's foreign minister on Tuesday hailed the European Parliament's decision to lift the immunity of three wanted Catalan MEPs, although the reaction was mixed on the streets of Catalonia. The decision relates to former regional president Carles Puigdemont and two others who are wanted by Madrid over their role in the failed Catalan independence bid of 2017 which triggered Spain's worst political crisis in decades. But the news sparked mixed reactions in Catalonia, the wealthy northeastern region which has long been divided over the thorny question of whether or not it should separate from Spain. For the Spanish government, it was welcome news after several years of seeking their extradition, with Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya saying the decision sent "a very clear signal that the problems of Catalonia will not be solved in Europe or by Europe". "They have to be solved in Spain but (by) bringing all Catalan forces around the table," she said in a statement in English. Puigdemont fled Spain for Belgium in late 2017 to escape prosecution following the failed secession bid. He is wanted on sedition charges. The other two are the former Catalan health and education ministers, Clara Ponsati and Toni Comin, who are also wanted on sedition charges over the organisation of a banned October referendum on independence. Comin is also living in Belgium while Ponsati is based in Scotland. As MEPs, all three had benefited from immunity from prosecution, but risk being sent back to Spain to face trial and potential prison over the independence bid. Lifting their immunity means judicial authorities will now be able to consider a Spanish request for their extradition. On the streets of Barcelona, reaction was mixed with pensioner Toni Colom, 73, telling AFPTV it was "bad news" for Puigdemont. "Now he's back in the hands of the judges -- those in Spain who will again request his extradition, and those in Belgium who will have to decide whether or not to extradite him." Oscar Sanchez, a local artist, said it was unlikely Puigdemont would be fairly treated in Spain. "I hope the (extradition) process doesn't go ahead, forcing him to come back to Spain because I don't think that the Spanish government will treat him fairly." But others said it was time Puigdemont faced justice for his actions. "I'd like him to be sent to prison... because they will do it again," said 74-year-old Manuel, who did not give his family name, referring to the separatists' push for independence. And 18-year-old student Blai Hereida agreed. "If someone is a fugitive from justice, we have to show Spain has effective laws that must be respected. As a Catalan citizen, I think Puigdemont should be put in prison for the crimes he's committed." Although Puigdemont and several others fled abroad to escape justice, Spain prosecuted nine other separatist leaders who in 2019 were handed heavy jail terms of up to 13 years. In another legal blow for the separatists on Tuesday, a Spanish court revoked the low-risk status granted to seven of the prisoners. Since January, all nine had benefited from a semi-open regime allowing them to work on weekdays and spend weekends at home. For now, the courts have yet to rule on whether the same ruling will apply to the remaining prisoners, both women. bur-vid-hmw/dl
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