The Spanish Supreme Court rejected the new amnesty petition filed by Carles Puigdemonte, maintaining the national arrest warrant against the former president of the Generalitat. Judge Pablo Llarena rejected the request based on the alleged crime of embezzlement, even after the endorsement issued by the Court of Justice of the European Union on the issue.
The decision remains firm despite European guidelines that could suggest a different path for the application of amnesty. The Supreme Court applies the same criterion to Antoni Comín, another Catalan independence politician who also requested the benefits of the amnesty law.
The case continues to generate tension between Spanish judicial institutions and the legal proceedings related to the 2017 Catalan independence referendum. Puigdemonte and Comín remain outside Spain, where they face charges that could result in significant prison sentences.
