Salvador Illa proposes tougher penalties for illegal weapons

Salvador Illa, President of the Generalitat, has proposed toughening prison sentences for the possession and public display of illegal firearms. The initiative aims to ensure that such offenses result in effective prison time, addressing what Illa described as "outdated" current legislation.

The proposal seeks to amend articles 563 and 564 of the Penal Code. Key changes include increasing prison terms for possessing prohibited or modified weapons from a range of 1–3 years to 2–4 years. For short firearms, the proposed range would shift from 1–2 years to 18 months–3 years. Additionally, the government intends to remove the possibility of sentence reductions for displaying weapons in public or in front of minors and vulnerable individuals.

Because these changes require approval from the Congress of Deputies, the Catalan government plans to present a law proposal to the Parliament this October. If approved, Catalan deputies will advocate for the legislative proposal in Madrid. The government attributes the rise in illegal weapon incidents, which saw a 45% increase in incidents involving firearms between January and June, to the growth of drug trafficking.