Carles Puigdemont ‘eludes police manhunt and flees Spain’

A top Spanish judge demands answers from Catalan police on how Carles Puigdemont was able to escape.

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Spanish authorities launched a large manhunt for Mr Puigdemont on Thursday after he made a shock return to Spain, gave a short speech to crowds in Barcelona and then disappeared.

The 61-year-old is wanted by Spain on charges linked to a failed bid for Catalan independence in 2017.

After a tumultuous 24 hours on the run, Mr Puigdemont is now back in Belgium where he lives, his party's secretary general Jordi Turull said on Friday.

In 2017, Catalonia's pro-independence leaders including Mr Puigdemont organised a referendum - which was ruled illegal by Spain's constitutional court - and later declared independence for the region.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyw28eey8wo

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