Spain’s Supreme Court lifts Puigdemont arrest warrant — Deutsche Welle

Spain’s Supreme Court has lifted the arrest warrant for Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont, who has been abroad since 2017. The decision opens the way for him to return to Spain without the threat of arrest ahead of the snap parliamentary elections scheduled for November 29.

Decision following Constitutional Court ruling

As Deutsche Welle reports, Judge Pablo Llarena lifted the warrant after Spain’s Constitutional Court ruled that the 2024 amnesty law for Catalan separatists also applies to embezzlement cases.

Puigdemont moved to Belgium after the failed attempt to secure Catalonia’s independence in 2017. Spanish authorities had been seeking him on charges of misusing public funds to hold an illegal independence referendum when he led Catalonia’s regional government.

The Constitutional Court made its ruling after reviewing an appeal by one of Puigdemont’s allies against the Supreme Court’s previous position. The Supreme Court had previously held that the amnesty did not apply to those accused of embezzlement, meaning Puigdemont could not benefit from it.

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Amnesty and snap elections

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez welcomed the court’s decision and said it would enable Catalonia to look to the future. According to him, it would also help Catalan society.

The amnesty law was adopted in 2024 despite opposition from conservative and right-wing parties. It was intended to cover offenses linked to Catalonia’s attempted secession and ease tensions in the region. The law also helped Sánchez secure the support of Catalan separatist parties after the 2023 elections, which produced no clear majority. About 400 separatists have already benefited from the amnesty.

Puigdemont’s Junts party withdrew its support for Sánchez’s government last year, accusing him of failing to fulfill promises, including those concerning amnesty for its leader. Last week, Junts voted against government housing support measures. Against the backdrop of large-scale protests, Sánchez announced snap elections.