Amnesty must be applied without delay, says Illa
Barcelona, 29 September 2026, President of the Generalitat Salvador Illa has called for the immediate application of the amnesty law to enable former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont and ERC leader Oriol Junqueras to participate in future parliamentary debates. Speaking during the General Political Debate at the Parlament de Catalunya, Illa urged that the amnesty be implemented without further delay so Puigdemont could attend the next session and Junqueras could have his civic and political rights fully restored. "Its application is of obligatory compliance, without further delays. And so it will be, as I have always defended," Illa stated.
Extension to other affected figures
Illa also called for the amnesty to be extended to other currently charged deputies, specifically naming Lluís Puig and Josep Maria Jové, as well as all other citizens who qualify under the terms of the legislation. The amnesty law, officially known as Organic Law 1/2024 on amnesty for institutional, political and social normalisation in Catalonia, was approved by Spain’s Congress of Deputies on 30 May 2024 and published in the Boletín Oficial del Estado on 11 June 2024.
The vast majority of people in Catalonia and across Spain support reconciliation, dialogue and coexistence.
Illa argued that Catalonia has chosen to move forward collectively, contrasting the current period with the divisions of the procés years, when he said "the seams of coexistence were torn" and the region suffered as a result. He stressed that there is no turning back from this path of unity, prosperity and cohesion, asserting that the reintegration of previously excluded political figures is essential to national healing.
Legal context and European validation
The call follows legal developments including a ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union (TJUE) on 31 January 2026 in case C-158/21, which supported the validity of the amnesty framework. Additional rulings by Spanish courts have progressively aligned with its implementation, including decisions by the Supreme Court to apply the repeal of sedition charges to key figures. Recent reports also indicate that the Catalan government is preparing an official reception for Puigdemont at the Palau de la Generalitat upon his return, marking a symbolic step in institutional normalisation. Illa reiterated that judges must apply laws passed by democratically elected parliaments, underscoring the legitimacy of the amnesty process.
More Barcelona coverage on Barna.News: Illa to Receive Puigdemont at Generalitat Palace.
Primary sources: revistes.eapc.gencat.cat, govern.cat. Reported by Parlament de Catalunya, elplural.com, rtve.es, parlament.cat, Europa Press Barcelona.
