A politically highly controversial criminal law reform went into effect in Spain today, which could allow numerous separatist leaders who fled abroad to return to Catalonia.
During the banned independence referendum in 2017, some of them were sentenced to up to 13 years in prison for rebellion, incitement to hatred, civil disobedience and embezzlement of public funds, or until recently were still facing such sentences.
Make way for Puigdemont’s return
But now Catalonia’s former prime minister and current MEP, Carles Puigdemont, and four of his former government members can return to Spain without fear of arrest.
Portal/Yara Nardi
Supreme Court Judge Pablo Llarena announced in Madrid that, under the new Spanish penal code, Puigdemont would no longer be wanted for sedition and rebellion. However, Catalonia’s separatist leader has yet to answer for disobedience and embezzlement of public money.
Separatist leaders would still have to answer in court
But here too Puigdemont – like the other separatist leaders – can no longer be threatened with imprisonment, since from now on embezzlement must mainly involve personal enrichment in order to receive a prison sentence. This was not the case for Catalan politicians, however, as the money went towards organizing the independence referendum.
Criminal law reform in Spain became explosive in the super-election year of 2023 and provided the conservative opposition and right-wing populists Vox in particular with material to attack the left-wing government ahead of national regional and local elections in late May. and parliamentary elections in late autumn.