The national search and arrest warrants for former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont and ex-ministers Antoni Comín and Lluís Puig have been suspended with immediate effect by Supreme Court judge Pablo Llarena.
This provisional measure, in force until a new judicial resolution is issued, follows the Constitutional Court's acceptance of an appeal filed by former minister Dolors Bassa. The court ruled that the amnesty law applies to her conviction for embezzlement related to the 2017 independence process, known as the procés.
Although the full text of the Constitutional Court’s ruling is not yet available, Judge Llarena stated that the substantial legal and factual similarities between Bassa’s case and those of Puigdemont, Comín, and Puig justify a temporary suspension of the arrest orders. He stressed this does not amount to a final application of amnesty nor does it extinguish criminal liability.
No Final Ruling on Amnesty
Llarena clarified that his decision is independent and not a direct enforcement of the Constitutional Court’s judgment, as Puigdemont’s own appeal remains unresolved. However, he said maintaining the arrest warrant could cause irreparable harm if the Constitutional Court’s interpretation ultimately affects its validity.
The aims of securing the case do not justify immediate execution of the arrest orders before verifying the impact of the constitutional pronouncement.
The judge instructed the National Police, Civil Guard, and Mossos d’Esquadra, Catalonia’s regional police, to refrain from any action to detain Puigdemont, Comín, or Puig based on the suspended warrants.
Next Steps Pending Full Ruling
Once the complete ruling from the Constitutional Court is published, Llarena will reassess whether to maintain, modify, or permanently lift the measures. The current suspension is strictly transitional and does not prejudge the outcome.
The development marks a significant shift in the legal landscape surrounding figures exiled or restricted due to their roles in the 2017 independence bid. It opens the possibility of Puigdemont’s return to Spain without immediate risk of arrest, though formal legal resolution remains pending.
Primary sources: govern.cat. Reported by lavanguardia.com, euronews.com, democrata.es, elplural.com, eldebate.com, Martí Odriozola i Marcé, 20minutos.es, Catalan News, elindependiente.com, cadenaser.com, elmundo.es, elconfidencial.com, La Vanguardia Catalonia.
