By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) - Former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont has asked Spain's Constitutional Court to suspend the arrest and imprisonment order against him while his latest appeal is being examined, arguing that an amnesty law is "fully effective and applicable."

In his filing, the exiled former leader said suspending the order is necessary to prevent "irreparable harm" to his fundamental rights, RTVE reported on Monday.

Puigdemont said his freedom of movement and institutional activity have been restricted for years by arrest warrants whose validity has been "deactivated" by the amnesty law and "confirmed" by both Spain’s Constitutional Court and by European standards, citing an opinion last week by EU Advocate General Dean Spielmann.

He argued that keeping these measures in place would amount to "a disproportionate and unnecessary sacrifice, incompatible with the principles of proportionality, necessity, and minimal interference that govern this phase."

His appeal comes after Spielmann said the amnesty law cannot be considered "self-amnesty," while also finding some parts incompatible with EU law. He argued that the "concurrence between constitutional jurisprudence and European standards" requires provisional protection to avoid "irreparable harm," adding that there is no "reasonable legal doubt" to justify maintaining the arrest warrants.

According to the former Catalan leader, executing the warrant issued by Supreme Court Judge Pablo Llarena would be "an independent violation of the appellant's right to personal liberty and political and representative rights," coming from a court "whose jurisdiction has been clearly and directly challenged by the (European) Court of Justice."

He requested that the suspension remain in place until the Constitutional Court issues a final ruling on the amnesty proceeding, or until issues related to the application of the law, whose effectiveness could be affected by the appealed rulings, are resolved.