Puigdemont and four other members of the Catalan government turned themselves in to Belgian police, a spokesperson for the Prosecutor's Office in Brussels said at a press conference.
READ MORE: Puigdemont Has Right to Appeal in Case of Arrest Warrant — Source
Former Catalan president, alongside other fugitive cabinet members, accompanied by their lawyers, arrived at a police department in Brussels voluntarily, according to the representative of the prosecution.
— Carles Puigdemont 🎗 (@KRLS) November 4, 2017
We are ready to cooperate fully with Belgian justice in accordance with the European arrest warrant issued by Spain
"They have been deprived of freedom," the spokesperson said, adding that they were detained for a "maximum period of 24 hours." Now the investigating judge has 24 hours to decide whether to extend the detention.
Madrid stripped the rebellious region of its autonomy and sacked the government following the region’s independence declaration on October 27, which was deemed illegal by the central authorities.