Spanish court stops amnesty for Puigdemont: a blow to the separatists!

Spanish court stops amnesty for Puigdemont: a blow to the separatists!

Vienna, Österreich - On April 10, 2025, the Spanish Supreme Court ruled that Carles Puigdemont, the former Catalan regional president, cannot benefit from an amnesty regulation for Catalan independence activists. Puigdemont has been searched for an arrest warrant in Spain since 2017 after he had held a legally forbidden referendum to split off Catalonia from the Spanish central state. According to the court, Puigdemont financed an "illegal political project" by embezzling public funds. This decision also affects Toni Comín, who also appealed against his exclusion from amnesty. However, both have the opportunity to call the Spanish constitutional court to take this decision.

The dismissal of the appeal did not surprise Puigdemont, as he expressed in a contribution on the platform X. He accused the judges of rejecting the Amnesty Act. This law, which was adopted in 2024, represents a concession of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to the independence supporters and benefits around 400 Catalan activists who were pursued after the failed attempt to split in 2017. The responsible judges must decide on the application of the amnesty in every single case.

background of the amnesty law

The amnesty law was adopted by Parliament in Madrid with 177 to 172 votes and received extensive support within the independence movement. Sánchez needed the votes of these parties to secure a majority of government after the election last year. However, this led to months of protests in the conservative opposition, which criticized the regulation. Alberto Núñez, the chairman of the PP People's Party, described Sánchez's approach as the dictation of the lawbreakers.

The law not only includes Puigdemont, but also other former government officials and citizens who were involved in protests, as well as police officers. The amnial plans encounter mixed reactions within society. Míriam Nogueras from the separatist party Junts described the law as "democratic and collective victory", while the conservative forces express their concern about the effects of such a regulation.

In the recent decision, Puigdemont was acquitted of the allegations of rebellion and terrorism, but there remains the accusation of embezzlement against him. It remains to be seen whether and how this will affect the independence movement in Catalonia in the future. The topic will continue to employ Spanish politics, and the legal disputes are not ended.