Court Ruling Clears Key Hurdle for Puigdemont's Return to Spain
Spain's Constitutional Court ruled on Tuesday, October 6, that Spanish courts must apply the amnesty law to Catalan separatists, including in embezzlement cases, clearing a major hurdle for the expected return of self-exiled Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont.
Puigdemont left Spain after Catalonia's 2017 independence referendum and has lived in self-imposed exile since. The amnesty law was a central element of the arrangements that allowed Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to form a government in 2023, and its scope — particularly whether it covers embezzlement — has been legally contested.
The ruling means lower courts must apply the amnesty in the relevant cases. Some judges had previously resisted applying it to financial offences, leaving uncertainty over whether Puigdemont would still face prosecution on his return.
The decision comes as Spain prepares for a snap election on November 29, with Catalonia and the amnesty expected to feature in the campaign. Puigdemont has not announced a timetable for returning.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于马德里的西班牙宪法法院大楼外观。摄影：Javier Perez Montes，CC BY-SA 4.0，取自 Wikimedia Commons
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