Exile immunity withdrawn

ON Wednesday, July 5, the European high court determined that the former president of the government of Catalonia does not enjoy parliamentary immunity and thus brings his extradition to Spain closer, according to a news source.

In 2017, Puigdemont ap­ proved laws for permitting a Catalan independence referendum, with plans that would replace the Spanish constitution if a vote for independence was returned.

2.55m people helped by Citizens Advice UK.

Despite a ruling by Spain’s government, the referendum took place. With a result of 92 per cent supporting independence. This caused the Spanish government to impose direct rule on Catalonia, dismissing Puigdemont and the Catalan Government. On October 30, 2017, charges of rebellion and sedition and misuse of public funds were brought against Puigdemont and others.

Puigdemont fled to Belgium and was elected as a member of the European Parliament in 2021. He was granted parliamentary immunity in 2022.

Following the latest ruling by the EU, Judge Pablo Llarena will now have to issue a new Euro­order, which the Belgian courts will be forced to accept.

Puigdemont had used the repeal of the crime of sedition by Pedro Sánchez’s government as part of his defence strategy.

Several months ago, the EU Court of Justice had on the table the appeal that Carles Puigdemont had lodged against the European Parliament’s decision to waive his immunity as a member of the European Parliament.

The court’s removal of immunity and their rejection of Puigdemont’s appeal opens the door for him to appear before the Justice in Spain to face the charges against him.

John Ensor

AUTHORITIES at a beach in Galicia have gone one step further in inclusivity by adopting flags for people suffering from colour blindness.

It was announced that from Wednesday, July 5, the municipality of Sanxenxo, near Pontevedra in Galicia, has introduced lifeguard flags adapted for people with colour blindness onto its beaches.

The flags are a well ­ known sight on Spanish beaches which combine colours and symbols that inform bathers about the condition of the sea.

The flags use the award ­ winning ‘ColorADD’, a system which was developed by a Portuguese graphic designer and a university professor. It remains the only language in the world adapted to people with colour blindness.

According to statistics from ColorADD, there are 350 million colour­blind people worldwide, with one in 12 males and one in 200 females.

The Sanxenxo Council issued a statement: “This makes the beaches more inclusive, as people with colour blindness will be able to access the information on the flags independently.”

It is worth remembering that the most frequent variant of colour blindness makes it difficult to distinguish between the colours red and green, which are two of the main colours used in any code related to risk and safety.

Therefore, the red, yellow and green flags are accompanied by a new symbolism. Specifically, the red flag has a triangle, the yellow flag has a diagonal stripe and the green flag has a diagonal line and a triangle.

The authorities at Sanxenxo have again decided not to place showers on its beaches in order to save water.