Spain court lifts Puigdemont arrest warrant, clearing way for his return home ahead of November elections

Spain's Supreme Court on Tuesday lifted an arrest warrant for Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont, paving the way for him to return home ahead of a general election next month.

Puigdemont fled to Belgium in 2017 after leading a failed attempt for the wealthy northeastern Catalonia region to break away from Spain.

He had been wanted by authorities ever since, accused of embezzling public funds to hold an illegal independence referendum when he was head of Catalonia's regional government.

Judge Pablo Llarena lifted the arrest warrant shortly after Spain's Constitutional Court ruled that a 2024 amnesty for Catalan separatists also applied to embezzlement cases.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez welcomed the decision, saying it would allow Catalonia to "look to the future."

"We should celebrate that this also helps Catalan society, as it has been demanding throughout this time," he told journalists in Madrid.

How did the amnesty come about?

While Puigdemont and other members of his government fled abroad after the 2017 independence bid, several Catalan ministers who remained in Spain were sentenced to lengthy prison terms.

In 2024, in the face of strong opposition from Spain's conservative and right-wing parties, the Sanchez government passed an amnesty law. It intended to cover all offenses related to the secession attempt and ease tensions in the Catalonia region.

It also allowed Sanchez to secure the backing of Catalan separatist parties and stay in power after a 2023 election produced no clear majority.

But Puigdemont's Junts party withdrew its support last year, accusing Sanchez of failing to fulfill promises such as providing amnesty for its leader.

Around 400 separatists have benefited from the amnesty, but Puigdemont had been excluded because Spain's Supreme Court initially ruled the law did not apply to those accused of embezzlement. That changed after the Constitutional Court on Tuesday sided with one of Puigdemont's allies who had appealed against the top court's ruling.

Last week, Junts voted against housing relief measures proposed by Sanchez's government amid huge protests, prompting the prime minister on Monday to call a snap vote for November 29.