Sacked Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont attends a news conference at the Press Club Brussels Europe in Brussels, Belgium, October 31, 2017. REUTERS/Yves Herman

MADRID (Reuters) - A Spanish judge on Thursday issued a European arrest warrant for ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and four members of his sacked cabinet, now in Belgium, after they failed to appear at a High Court hearing, newspaper La Vanguardia said.

A spokeswoman for the High Court could not confirm the warrant had been issued.

Spain’s state prosecutor had asked the judge to issue such a warrant earlier in the day.