Spain clears path for Carles Puigdemont's return

Spain's Supreme Court has revoked the arrest warrant for Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont, allowing him to return to the country after nearly nine years of self-imposed exile in Belgium. This decision follows a ruling by the Constitutional Court, which validated the 2024 amnesty law, confirming it covers the charge of embezzlement that had kept the arrest warrant active since his flight in 2017 following a banned independence referendum.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who negotiated the amnesty deal with Puigdemont's party to secure his own government's stability in 2023, welcomed the outcome as a move toward the future. The development comes as Spain prepares for snap national elections on November 29. While previous ministers involved in the 2017 secession attempt had received earlier pardons, the final legal obstacle for Puigdemont has now been removed, and he has described the court's decision as a political victory.