The Spanish Supreme Court has annulled the arrest warrant against Carles Puigdemont, the Catalan separatist leader, allowing him to return to Spain after nearly nine years of exile in Belgium. This decision comes in the wake of a failed secession attempt in Catalonia in 2017, as reported by AFP.
On Tuesday, Judge Pablo Llarena of the Supreme Court issued an order to revoke the national search and arrest warrants against Puigdemont and former advisers Antoni Comin and Lluis Puig. This revocation takes effect immediately and will remain in place until further notice.
The ruling follows a recent confirmation from the Constitutional Court regarding the application of an amnesty law passed by the Spanish parliament two years ago, which includes provisions for offenses related to embezzlement, previously the basis for Puigdemont’s arrest warrant.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who negotiated this amnesty law with Puigdemont’s party in exchange for their parliamentary support for his government in 2023, welcomed the announcement, stating it allows Catalonia to “look towards the future.” He expressed satisfaction that this measure contributes positively to Catalan society.
The amnesty law, which has sparked intense debate within Spanish society and faced strong criticism from right-wing opposition parties, was definitively adopted by the Spanish parliament in May 2024.
However, the Supreme Court clarified that the law does not apply to individuals prosecuted for public fund embezzlement, previously hindering Puigdemont’s potential return, a significant figure in the institutional crisis linked to rising separatist tensions in Spain.
The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) also validated this controversial law in July, characterizing it as a tool to “reduce institutional and political tensions and promote a climate of reconciliation.”
Puigdemont is now free to return to Spain, where his only visit since leaving was a brief trip in 2024 that lasted only a few hours.
