Carles Puigdemont, the former head of the Catalan government who was arrested in Germany, said that he will not "give up" and will not abandon his ideas on the region's independence, Sputnik reported.

"I am not giving up, I am not losing courage over the illegitimate actions of those who lost the elections," Puigdemont posted on his Twitter page.

This is Puigdemont's first statement since his arrest a week ago.