Fugitive ex-Catalan leader held by police in Germany

BARCELONA, Spain – The lawyer for fugitive former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont says that he is being held by German police.

Jaume Alonso-Cuevillas has confirmed to The Associated Press that German police stopped Puigdemont on Sunday when he was crossing the border to enter Denmark. He says Puigdemont is at a police station.

Alonso-Cuevillas says Puigdemont was on his way back to Belgium where he has been staying since fleeing Spain following a failed bid by his regional government in October to declare independence from Spain.

A Spanish Supreme Court judge reactivated an international arrest warrant for Puigdemont on Friday when he was visiting Finland.

Arrest warrants have also been issued for five other Catalan separatists.