Spanish Constitutional Court signals support for embezzlement amnesty

The Spanish Constitutional Court has signaled support for applying the amnesty law to the crime of embezzlement, potentially paving the way for the return of former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont and former ministers Toni Comín and Lluís Puig.

In a significant shift, the court's progressive majority moved away from a previous report that denied protection to Jordi Turull. This decision amends the prior doctrine established by Judge Pablo Llarena, who had argued that the defendants were excluded from amnesty due to illicit enrichment. The Constitutional Court's current direction challenges the Supreme Court's stance that the use of public funds for the 2017 independence referendum constituted personal profit.

The political party Vox remains the sole opposing party in the case. Vox argues that the amnesty law cannot cover the irregular use of public funds and maintains that granting immunity for embezzlement undermines the principle of equality before the law and the control of public money.