Clara Ponsati defence fundraiser pulls in £100,000 in three hours

Clara Ponsati, an economist at St Andrews University, handed herself in at an Edinburgh police station this morning after a European arrest warrant was issued by the Madrid authorities.

She is expected to appear from custody at Edinburgh Sheriff Court at 2pm.

Clara Ponsati is facing extradition to Spain on charges of rebellion in relation to her support for Catalan independence (Picture: AFP/Getty)

The academic was a minister in the devolved Catalan government when it unilaterally declared independence last year following a hugely controversial referendum.

An online fundraiser launched today has since attracted more than 3,000 individual donations.

In a statement, Ponsati said: “I need your urgent support to raise funds for my legal defence against this political prosecution and the systematic attempt to criminalise the desire for independence by more than 2 million voters in Catalonia. The offence I am charged with is punishable by up to 30 years imprisonment.

“It pains me to say this but there is no guarantee of due process in Spain and no guarantee of a right to a fair trial in a country where most members of the Catalan Government are already in prison or in exile.”