The former Cabinet ministers — Meritxell Serret, Toni Comín and Lluís Puig — fled to Belgium alongside former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont in October 2017 to avoid arrest after declaring unilateral independence from Spain, following a referendum that was declared illegal by Madrid.
A Belgian judge withdraws the European Arrest Warrant against Toni Comín, Lluís Puig and Meritxell Serret amid procedural defects and irregularities. The Supreme Court of Spain criticizes the decision as a "lack of commitment to Spain" from the Belgian justice.