The ousted Catalan leader, 54, slammed Madrid’s judicial system and the governing political administration, led by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, as it attempted to crush the leaders of the pro-independence movement in the north east region.
Mr Puigdemont said it was a “colossal outrage” that he, along with 13 other colleagues were being investigated over possible charges that include rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds that relate to actions surrounding the independence referendum that was carried out on October 1 with Madrid deeming the vote to be illegal under the Spanish constitution.
If charged and found guilty Mr Puigdemont could face 30 years in jail for rebellion.
Writing for the Guardian, Mr Puigdemont said: “Today, the leaders of this democratic project stand accused of rebellion and face the severest punishment possible under the Spanish penal code; the same as for cases of terrorism and murder: 30 years in prison.”
Repeating his call for international help Mr Puigdemont questioned if his colleagues will get “fair and independent hearing” and called for a political solution to the dispute rather than Mr Rajoy’s pursuit of judicial means.
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Mr Puigdemont said: “The Spanish state must honour what was said so many times in the years of terrorism: end violence and we can talk about everything.
“We, the supporters of Catalan independence, have never opted for violence, on the contrary. But now we find it was all a lie that everything is up for discussion.”
A number of Mr Puigdemont’s ministers have been jailed in Madrid following a crackdown by Mr Rajoy after he invoked Article 155 of the Spanish constitution allowing him to seize control of the semi-autonomous region.
On Thursday, a national court judge ordered the jailing of the eight Catalan politicians and, a day later, issued a European arrest warrant for Mr Puigdemont and four of his allies after they had travelled to Belgium in an attempt to drum up international support.
Late on Sunday, a Belgian judge granted the five conditional release.
They are due to make their first appearance in court on November 17 when a judge will decide on whether to implement the arrest warrant.
And the two main parties that hold power in Belgium as well as the country’s main opposition – N-VA (New Flemish Alliance), MR (Reformist Movement) and PS (Socialist Party) – have all expressed their opposition to the legal actions undertaken by the Spanish government.
Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel of MR, has repeatedly expressed his opposition to Spain’s judicial offensive and has expressed his support for finding a solution to the tension through negotiation.
Today, his Interior Minister, Jan Jambon (N-VA), said “Madrid has gone too far” with Catalonia, especially criticising the police attacks during the referendum.
Mr Jambon said the Catalan people had not done anything to deserve the treatment they received, saying Catalan politicians “have fulfilled a mandate they were given by their voters”.
The country’s opposition leader and former Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo accused Mr Rajoy of behaving like an “authoritarian Francoist”, and said he was against Mr Puigdemont being imprisoned in Belgium.
He said in a Twitter message: ”I fight against Puigdemont’s politics, but I would be very shocked if the Belgian justice system were to put him in prison.”
According to Di Rupo, the Catalan President has “abused his position” but, while fighting the independence movement, “we [have to] remain democrats”.