Warrant lifted after constitutional ruling
Spain's Supreme Court has lifted the arrest warrant for Carles Puigdemont, clearing the way for his return to Spain after nearly nine years in exile. The decision follows a ruling by the Constitutional Court that the 2024 amnesty law applies to embezzlement charges linked to the 2017 independence referendum. Supreme Court judge Pablo Llarena acted on Tuesday after the Constitutional Court rejected earlier interpretations that excluded embezzlement from the amnesty’s scope. Puigdemont, who was president of the Generalitat during the independence bid, had been accused of misusing public funds to organise the vote.
Puigdemont: 'Repression stage is over'
Speaking from Waterloo, Belgium, Puigdemont declared the end of what he called a "stage of political repression" that began after the 1 October 2017 referendum. He hailed the court’s action as a defeat for Spanish institutions that had opposed the amnesty for political reasons.
We will return to the service of our country, not just our party.
He stressed the political significance of the amnesty but warned that the conflict between Catalonia and the Spanish state remains unresolved. "The amnesty is not in itself a solution," he said.
Return expected ahead of November elections
Puigdemont briefly returned to Barcelona in August 2024 without being arrested, appearing at a public event before leaving again. With the warrant now formally revoked, he can return without legal risk. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez welcomed the decision, stating it allows Catalonia to "look to the future." The 2024 amnesty law was passed to ease tensions and secure support from Catalan separatist parties for Sánchez’s government.
Primary sources: presidencia.bibliotecadigital.gencat.cat, igualtat.gencat.cat, govern.cat, eapc.bibliotecadigital.gencat.cat. Reported by en.ara.cat, france24.com, dw.com, euronews.com, Melchor Sáiz-Pardo, elconstitucional.es, Martí Odriozola i Marcé, Diari de Girona, ara.cat, Regió 7, lamanyana.cat, washingtonpost.com, elpais.com, Diari ARA.
