Puigdemont said to be in Belgium as Spanish police try to explain how he escaped

Carles Puigdemont addresses supporters after his arrival near the Catalan parliament in Barcelona, Spain, on Thursday (Joan Mateu/AP)

Former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont was back in Belgium on Friday, his lawyer said, after he evaded arrest in Spain for the second time in seven years with a dramatic dash into a getaway car following a public appearance in Barcelona.

Puigdemont made a much-anticipated return to Spain this week despite a pending arrest warrant against him for his role in a 2017 independence referendum deemed illegal by Spanish courts.