Spanish court allows Puigdemont to return without threat of arrest — BBC News

Spain’s Supreme Court has upheld the cancellation of the national arrest warrant for former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont. The decision opens the way for him to return to Spain nearly ten years after leaving for Belgium amid Catalonia’s attempt to gain independence, BBC News reports.

Vox appeal rejected

On Monday, the court rejected an appeal by the far-right Vox party, which challenged the cancellation of arrest warrants for Puigdemont as well as his former ministers Lluís Puig and Toni Comín. The court thus upheld the decision to lift the warrant linked to the 2017 referendum, which the Catalan government organized against Madrid’s position.

In 2024, Spain’s Socialist government introduced an amnesty for dozens of Catalan politicians and activists involved in the separatist movement. At the same time, the Supreme Court decided not to apply it to Puigdemont and several of his associates because of allegations of possible financial crimes related to organizing the vote. Earlier this month, the Constitutional Court overturned that interpretation.

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Nearly decade-long stay abroad

After the 2017 referendum, Madrid imposed direct rule in Catalonia, and Puigdemont left for Belgium, where he has lived ever since. He has returned to Spain briefly at least once: in 2024, he addressed supporters in Barcelona before leaving the country before he could be detained.

Puigdemont remains active in politics: in 2019, he was elected a member of the European Parliament, and in 2024, he was elected to the Catalan parliament from the centre-right Together for Catalonia (JxCat) party, which he leads. It is currently unknown when exactly he will return to Spain. Toni Comín plans to travel to Madrid this week for administrative procedures related to his status as a member of the European Parliament.