Spanish judicial authorities have lifted the arrest warrant for Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont, a move that enables the politician to return to Spain for the first time in nearly a decade without the immediate threat of detention. Puigdemont had been residing in Belgium since 2017, following his failed attempt to lead an illegal secession effort in Spain’s northeastern region of Catalonia.
The decision to drop the warrant was issued on Tuesday by Judge Pablo Llarena. This action followed closely on the heels of an announcement from Spain’s Constitutional Court, which confirmed it would apply a government-backed amnesty for Catalan separatists to one of Puigdemont’s associates who had previously been convicted of misusing public funds.
Judge Llarena indicated that he decided to lift the warrant while he awaits a more comprehensive review of the Constitutional Court’s recent ruling, noting that the court's decision would likely have a direct impact on the status of the warrant. Following the news, Puigdemont’s political party in Catalonia, Junts, announced that the leader plans to hold a press conference later on Tuesday from his residence in Waterloo, where he has been living in self-proclaimed exile.
