German court orders Carles Puigdemont to be held in custody during extradition proceedings
A German court has ordered Catalan separatist Carles Puigdemont to be held in custody for the length of extradition proceedings, prosecutors said.
Schleswig Holstein state prosecutor Georg Guentge said the court in Neumuenster formally determined Puigdemont's identity and also heard arguments from his lawyer claiming legal flaws in Spain's extradition request.
Mr Guentge said the judge on Monday rejected the motion from Puigdemont's lawyer, but the issues can be raised again during the formal extradition process which begins immediately.
Puigdemont was detained by German highway police on Sunday after entering from Denmark.
Spain was plunged into its worst political crisis in four decades when Puigdemont's government flouted a court ban and held an ad-hoc referendum on independence for the north-eastern region in October.
