Historical decision in Spain: Is the exile coming to an end for Catalan leader Puigdemont?

Spain's Constitutional Court approved an amnesty for the leaders of the Catalan independence movement on embezzlement charges.

In accordance with the decision taken by an absolute majority in the Constitutional Court, the way was paved for the return of Carles Puigdemont, who has not been able to enter Spain until now due to the accusation of embezzlement from public funds, without the risk of arrest.

It was stated that the implementation of the court decision for Puigdemont required legal process.

Following the independence referendum held in Catalonia on October 1, 2017, and the unilateral declaration of independence, which was accepted by the Catalan parliament on October 27, 2017 and whose announcement was postponed, a legal process was initiated in Spain against the separatist Catalan politicians for the crimes of "destroying the constitutional order", "obstructing the implementation of the law", "disobedience to state institutions" and "embezzlement from public resources".

Carles Puigdemont, the former head of the autonomous government of Catalonia, escaped from the Spanish judiciary due to the legal process against him and went to Belgium in October 2017.

Puigdemont, who served as a member of the European Parliament between 2019 and 2024 and was elected as a member of parliament in the last local parliamentary elections in the Catalonia region, has been the chairman of the Union for Catalonia (Junts) party since October 2024.