CLARA Ponsati, the St Andrews University professor and former Catalan education minister, who is at the centre of an extradition battle with Spain, has said she does not want to cry and only “wants to fight”.

The 61-year-old was speaking in Edinburgh as Catalan president Quim Torra met with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

Ponsati, who has been “adopted” by Scotland, described Torra’s visit as “extremely symbolic” and said she was “humbled and very grateful” for the support she has received.

READ: Quim Torra: Scotland and Catalonia are nations with the same goal

She will face a four-week hearing later this month where prosecutors will use centuries-old treason laws as part of the case against her.

Her legal team, led by Aamer Anwar, have described the prosecution as “politically motivated” by Spain and have re-launched a crowdfunding campaign to cover her costs at www.crowdjustice.com/case/defendclara.

Anwar said she could face a sentence of up to 33 years if she is sent back to Spain and convicted of the charges, raising fears she could spend the rest of her life in jail.

Ponsati said: “I just find the whole situation surreal. If it were to succeed we would be seeing one more episode of Outlander.

“I keep calm. I am a toughie. I don’t want to cry, I just want to fight.”

Spain is pursuing four extradition cases across Europe – in Scotland, Germany, Switzerland and Belgium – where Catalan politicians are exiled.

Torra told The National: “Were we to win all the extraditions, after these four victories how will Spanish justice argue that they have reason to have political prisoners in Spain when in other countries they will be free?

“In four countries they are free, in one they are in prison – who has the problem, Spain or the other four countries?

“Some ideas from the Francoist regime are still alive in Spain – it is still not a real democratic country, we see this every day. We are not fighting against the government we are fighting against the whole state of Spain and they use all their powers to try to stop Catalonia.

“Election after election the independentists are winning … although Spain is trying to stop this movement the people are supporting the independence movement.”

A joint statement issued after Sturgeon and Torra met said they had agreed the way forward for Catalonia must be through peaceful and democratic solutions involving dialogue between the Spanish and Catalan authorities.

“Both leaders agreed that in 21st-century Europe issues of self-determination must ultimately be addressed through democratic referendums ... The 2014 Scottish independence referendum agreed between Edinburgh and London is the best example of such a process, underlining the fact that issues of constitutional sovereignty should always be resolved through peaceful and democratic means.”

READ: Quim Torra: Scotland and Catalonia are nations with the same goal

Torra said the First Minister had accepted an invitation to visit Barcelona, following their “very cordial meeting”.

He said: “I said thanks to the First Minister for her support to the Catalan referendum and to the Scottish people for their sympathy and solidarity with the Catalan people.

“Self-determination is one of the most powerful ideas in Europe connected with democracy, civil rights and human rights. One of the possible solutions for the Catalan crisis we agreed is that the issue should be solved politically.”