Key facts
- Carles Puigdemont can return to Spain without fear of arrest.
Spain's Supreme Court has ruled that former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont can return to Spain without fear of arrest. The ruling lifts an arrest warrant linked to the 2017 independence referendum, ending a lengthy legal battle.
The ruling marks a significant development in Spanish politics, potentially allowing a key figure in the Catalan independence movement to return to the country after nearly a decade in exile. This could reshape the political landscape in Spain, particularly concerning the ongoing debate around Catalan autonomy.
Spain's Supreme Court has ruled that Carles Puigdemont, the former president of Catalonia, can return to Spain nearly a decade after fleeing into self-imposed exile. The court upheld a decision to lift an arrest warrant against him, which was issued following the region's 2017 independence referendum. The ruling follows a period of legal wrangling and comes after Spain's socialist government introduced a controversial amnesty for Catalan politicians and activists involved in the secession drive. While the Supreme Court had initially excluded Puigdemont and some colleagues due to alleged financial crimes, the Constitutional Court later overruled this interpretation. The Supreme Court's rejection of an appeal by the far-right Vox party paves the way for Puigdemont, along with former ministers Lluís Puig and Toni Comín, to return to Spain.
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