Germany has said that the decision on whether or not to extradite former Catalan President Carles Puigdemon, who has been detained in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, is in the hands of local courts.
Government spokesman Stephen Seibert said the matter was being handled under German law on European arrest warrants and that the case of Carles Puigdemon could only be resolved under Spanish law.
"Spain is a democratic state governed by the rule of law and the German federal government is convinced that this Catalan dispute must be resolved within the Spanish legal and constitutional framework," Seibert added. "For this reason, in recent months we have supported the clear position of the Spanish Government to safeguard its legal and constitutional system."
The decision after Easter
German authorities are unlikely to decide this week whether or not to extradite former Catalan President Carles Puigdemon to Spain, a spokesman for the state prosecutor's office in the Schleswig district court said.
"The decision will probably not be made before Easter," said spokeswoman Vibke Hofelner.
Large protest
Thousands of protesters, holding Catalan flags, took to the streets of Barcelona today after the arrest of the former president of Catalonia.
Responding to a call from the separatist Committees for the Defense of the Republic, protesters gathered in the Ramblas, Barcelona's main boulevard, chanting slogans such as "Freedom for political prisoners" and "Putin is our president."