Carles Puigdemont appeals refusal of amnesty for malversation

The legal defense for Carles Puigdemont has filed a reform appeal against Judge Pablo Llarena regarding the ongoing investigation into the Catalan independence movement. The appeal seeks to have the Supreme Court transfer jurisdiction to the High Court of Justice of Catalonia and requests the dismissal of the case.

A central component of the appeal is the demand for amnesty regarding the charge of malversation. Puigdemont’s lawyer, Gonzalo Boye, argues that the amnesty should apply following a recent ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union. While Judge Llarena previously removed arguments regarding the impact on EU financial interests, he maintained that the potential for personal patrimonial benefit through the use of public funds remains a valid reason to deny amnesty.

The defense contends that the services and materials used during the independence process were contracted and billed to the Generalitat and were not personal assets of Puigdemont or other defendants. They argue that the law allows for the amnesty of specific malversation acts used to finance the independence movement and that the use of public funds should not automatically disqualify the application of the amnesty.