Catalonia’s sacked leader Carles Puigdemont delivers a speech during a meeting with Catalan mayors in Brussels on November 7, 2017. Around 200 pro-independence Catalan mayors flew to Brussels on November 7 and held a protest demanding the release of their region’s “political prisoners”. Puigdemont claimed on November 7, 2017, that he fled to Belgium because Spain was preparing a “wave of oppression and violence” against his separatist movement. / AFP PHOTO / Emmanuel DUNAND

Deposed Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont on Tuesday slammed the European Union for backing what he termed Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s “coup d’etat”.

Catalonia’s sacked leader Carles Puigdemont delivers a speech during a meeting with Catalan mayors in Brussels on November 7, 2017.
Around 200 pro-independence Catalan mayors flew to Brussels on November 7 and held a protest demanding the release of their region’s “political prisoners”. Puigdemont claimed on November 7, 2017, that he fled to Belgium because Spain was preparing a “wave of oppression and violence” against his separatist movement. / AFP PHOTO / Emmanuel DUNAND

“Will you accept the result of the Catalan referendum or will you continue to help Mr Rajoy in his coup d’etat?” Puigdemont, whose government declared independence from Spain last month and was then dismissed by Madrid, said in Belgium, where he had fled from Spain.

AFP