By Ayhan Simsek

BERLIN

A German court gave a green light on Thursday for the extradition to Spain of former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, months after the Catalonia region made a blocked breakaway bid.

In a statement posted on its website, the Higher Regional Court in Schleswig-Holstein announced that it had given the go-ahead for an extradition request for Puigdemont, based on accusations of misuse of public funds.

But it ruled out an extradition based on charges of rebellion, saying this was not compatible with German law.

Puigdemont for now remains free until the chief prosecutor files an official extradition request.

The separatist leader was arrested on March 25 in northern Germany, after Spanish authorities reactivated a European arrest warrant on charges of sedition, rebellion, and misuse of public funds.

He was conditionally released by the court in April.

The 55-year-old politician led a parliamentary session last year that saw separatist lawmakers vote for the region of Catalonia to declare independence from Spain.

He and 12 other separatist leaders were officially charged with rebellion.