Former Catalan president Puigdemont denied request to lift arrest warrant

Spain's Constitutional Court has rejected lifting the arrest warrant against former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont, the Catalan News Agency has confirmed. 

Puigdemont was accused of misusing public funds in connection with the 2017 independence referendum. 

In July 2024, the Spanish Supreme Court ruled that the 2024 amnesty law, which covers charges related to the Catalan independence movement, does not include misuse of public funds.

Puigdemont has remained in Belgium since 2017 due to the ongoing arrest warrant, with the exception of a brief visit to Barcelona in August 2024, during which he narrowly avoided arrest.

The court also rejected suspending the arrest warrants against former Catalan ministers Toni Comín and Lluís Puig, who are also accused of misusing public funds in relation to the referendum.

The Constitutional Court says it cannot approve the amnesty appeals of Puigdemont, Comín, and Puig due to their cases still being open.

Although the appellants argue that their constitutional rights are being harmed by not being covered by the amnesty law, the court states that granting amnesty would harm the public interest because the criminal case against them is still ongoing and involves serious alleged crimes.

As a result of this ruling, all three remain subject to the national arrest warrant that is in effect against them if they return to Spain.