Spain’s Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont, upholding his exclusion from the national amnesty law due to allegations of embezzlement of public funds. The decision, announced Thursday, deals a major blow to Puigdemont’s legal defense and efforts to return to mainstream politics, according to AFP, cited by TASR.
The court stated that Puigdemont and other suspects “personally benefited by promoting an illegal political project while transferring its costs to the regional government—without serving any public interest.”
The controversial amnesty law was introduced in 2023 by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez as part of a broader deal to resolve tensions with Catalonia and to secure political support from separatist parties, including Puigdemont’s Junts per Catalunya (Together for Catalonia). While many Catalan figures were granted amnesty, the Supreme Court ruled last year that Puigdemont and a close associate were excluded due to pending fraud charges.
Puigdemont, who led Catalonia’s 2017 independence referendum and brief declaration of secession, fled to Belgium to avoid prosecution and has remained in self-imposed exile.
In response to the ruling, Puigdemont wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that the decision was “no surprise” and reflects the court’s “rebellious attitude against a law they personally oppose.” He may now take his case to Spain’s Constitutional Court.
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