Catalonia's former rebel president can return to Spain, court rules
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Spain's Supreme Court rules on Puigdemont's return
Spain's Supreme Court has ruled that Carles Puigdemont, the former president of Catalonia, can return to Spain without fear of arrest. This decision comes nearly a decade after Puigdemont fled to Belgium following a failed independence bid in 2017.
The court upheld a decision to lift an arrest warrant for Puigdemont related to a referendum organized by his regional government that year, in direct defiance of Madrid.
Puigdemont, currently a member of the European Parliament and leader of the center-right Together for Catalonia (JxCat) party, has made at least one brief return to Spain since his exile, addressing supporters in Barcelona before fleeing back to France.
The Supreme Court's ruling ends a lengthy legal dispute between the Spanish judiciary and Puigdemont, with the Constitutional Court overruling the initial interpretation regarding his charges for alleged financial crimes surrounding the referendum.
Future Steps
Lluis Puig and Toni Comin, former ministers in Puigdemont's government, are also set to return to Spain, as the Supreme Court rejected an appeal from the far-right Vox party against lifting their national arrest warrants.
Comin, who plans to travel to Madrid this week, expressed his intention to carry out administrative procedures.
Puigdemont's Statement
In a video posted online as the Supreme Court ruling was announced, Puigdemont spoke of his reasons for staying abroad:
"My role was to stir public opinion, internationalise the conflict, and work from the heart of Europe to explain the reality of Spain."
The timing of Puigdemont's potential return to Spain remains unclear.