Catalonia's ex-president freed from German jail, calls for dialogue with Madrid

Former Catalan President CarlesPuigdemont called on Spain to abandon its attempts to prosecuteseparatist leaders as he left a German prison on Friday, urgingMadrid to enter into dialogue with them.

Puigdemont, granted bail after German judges ruled he couldnot be extradited on charges of "rebellion" brought by Spain,thanked prison staff as he emerged to cheers and people wavingCatalan flags.

He called for "the immediate release of all my colleagues inSpanish prisons."

"It is a shame for Europe to have political prisoners,"Puigdemont said. "Finally the time for dialogue has arrived."

Judges on Thursday rejected Spain's request to have himextradited to face the rebellion charges for having organised areferendum on Catalan independence that Madrid viewed asillegitimate.

They set bail at 75,000 euros ($117,000), saying thatPuigdemont, who fled Spain five months ago after Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy dismissed his regional administration,did not pose a serious flight risk.

Puigdemont's German lawyer, Wolfgang Schomburg, said hewould continue the legal battle to have judges also rule out hisextradition on a lesser charge of embezzlement of public money.

Since Spain has said it will respect the German court'sruling, extradition from Germany on the lesser charge would effectively grant Puigdemont immunity from the rebellioncharges, which can bring up to 25 years in prison.

But a return to Spain under any other circumstances mightnot do so.

Earlier, the German Foreign Ministry urged Catalan lawmakersto form a new regional government as soon as possible, sayingthis was a precondition for making progress on a politicalsettlement to the stand-off with Madrid.