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Catalan political leaders return to Spain

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2026-10-14 10:30 UTC → 2026-10-14 17:16 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Following the lifting of arrest warrants by the Spanish Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court’s endorsement of an amnesty law, Junts party officials have developed a phased plan for the return of exiled Catalan leaders to Spain. Former minister Toni Comín announced he intends to return to Catalonia on October 24 by crossing the border from France on foot. Comín, who seeks to reclaim his seat in the European Parliament, stated that the amnesty has become a reality, allowing him to return with “full freedom” after nine years. While Comín plans to return relatively soon, the return of former President Carles Puigdemont is expected to follow a different timeline. Junts officials aim to ensure Puigdemont receives an “institutional return” with full honors from the Parliament, recognizing his status as a former president. Legal counsel for Puigdemont has suggested he may wait until after upcoming elections to return. In a recent development, Spain’s Court of Auditors has extended amnesty to former Catalan presidents Carles Puigdemont and Artur Mas, as well as Oriol Junqueras and approximately 30 other high-ranking officials. This ruling addresses accounting responsibility cases linked to the 2017 independence referendum and the external actions of the Generalitat. The decision follows a European Court of Justice ruling clarifying that the referendum did not affect European Union financial interests. As a result, the court has ordered the lifting of bail and financial guarantees totaling more than 4.2 million euros previously deposited by the defendants. In response to these legal shifts, Puigdemont’s legal team has petitioned Supreme Court Judge Pablo Llarena to apply the amnesty without further delay to achieve “institutional normalization.”

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