Spanish court upholds arrest warrants for Catalan separatists

2024-07-01 15:31:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Spanish court upholds arrest warrants for Catalan separatists

The former leader of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemon. Source, Reuters

Spain's Supreme Court has upheld arrest warrants for Catalonia's former leader and other officials charged in connection with Catalonia's failed independence bid.

In a ruling on Monday, the Supreme Court said the recently passed amnesty law does not apply to them.

This decision, on which the parties can tilt, could cause the fragile coalition with the Socialists at the top, which leads Spain's government, to fail. Likewise, the former president of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, who lives in exile in France, may be personally affected by this decision.

The amnesty law, which passed on May 30, was intended to pardon those involved in the 2017 attempt to declare independence from Catalonia in exchange for decisive support from separatist parties for Spain's prime minister-designate Pedro Sanchez, after the general election, where no party won a majority.

Judge Pablo Llarena said in his court order that he would continue to seek the arrest of Puigdemont and his former deputies, Antonio Comin and Lluis Puig, who headed Catalonia's culture and health departments, respectively.

If Puigdemont's Junts party does not support the bills, such as the one on the 2025 budget, it could leave Sanchez unable to govern and the country could go to new elections.

Politicians and activists involved in the independence drive faced indictments, including disorderly conduct, insubordination and embezzlement.

The judge in the case "has given the order today that declares that the amnesty does not apply to the crime of embezzlement" and has agreed to keep in force the "paper arrest" against Puigdemont, the court said in a statement.

The decision is a blow to Puigdemont, who seemed optimistic that the amnesty would absolve him of all charges he faces in Spain, allowing him to return home without fear of arrest.

In Catalonia, on October 1, 2017, a referendum was held, in which the majority of those who participated voted for independence from Spain.

The Parliament in Barcelona then declared the autonomous region an independent republic.

However, the participation in the referendum was low and it was declared illegal by the Constitutional Court of Spain.

The central government in Madrid has extended governance to the region and several Catalan leaders have fled the country or been detained./ REL