Court denies Puigdemont amnesty
To form a majority in Parliament, Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez promises Catalan activists an amnesty. However, the Regional President Puigdemont is at the center of this. But now, a court is blocking the lifting of his sentence. However, this is not for the offense for which he was originally accused.
Spain's highest court has denied an amnesty to the former Catalan Regional President Carles Puigdemont despite a new law. Judge Pablo Llarena issued a ruling today declaring the amnesty inapplicable to Puigdemont regarding the embezzlement charge in the case against him, the court stated. The arrest warrant against the Catalan remains in effect.
The amnesty was intended to benefit Catalan activists who were pursued by the Spanish justice system after the failed secession attempt of the wealthy region in the northeast of Spain in 2017. It is estimated that it could affect around 400 people. Among them is Puigdemont himself, who intends to return to Spain from years of exile in Belgium. The former Catalan Regional President was charged with embezzlement, rebellion, and terrorism. A warrant for his arrest has been out since 2017.
Challenging for Prime Minister Sanchez
Judge Llarena believed that the Amnesty Law could be applied to the rebellion charge. However, Puigdemont and two other Catalan activists' conduct, which is accused, fully and completely fall under the two exceptions in the law regarding the embezzlement offense. The terrorism charge against Puigdemont in a separate case was not addressed in the judgment.
The Amnesty Law was a concession from socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to separatist politicians who hold two seats in the Madrid Parliament. Sánchez relied on their support to form a government majority after the previous year's election. The amnesty plans sparked months of protests from the conservative opposition.
The application of the amnesty is now up to the individual judges. Judges have two months to decide, during which they can also appeal to the Spanish Constitutional Court or the European Court of Justice. Many judges reject the amnesty regulation. If amnesties are denied, it could be a problem for Sanchez, who still depends on the separatist politicians for parliamentary majorities.
Puigdemont reacted to the ruling on the online platform X with the wordplay "La Toga Nostra" (approximately: Our Judicial Robe). He drew the judges close to the Italian mafia organization Cosa Nostra with this phrase. Puigdemont has three days to appeal the ruling.
- Despite Prime Minister Sanchez's promise of amnesty, the court's decision blocks the lifting of former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont's sentence, not for the original offense but for embezzlement charges related to his case.
- The denial of amnesty for Carles Puigdemont by Spain's highest court is a challenging situation for Prime Minister Sanchez, as he still needs the support of separatist politicians for parliamentary majorities.
- Puigdemont, who is at the center of the Catalonia politics process, reacted to the court's ruling by using the phrase "La Toga Nostra," which could be perceived as drawing comparisons between judges and the Italian mafia organization Cosa Nostra.
