Spain’s Supreme Court applied the amnesty law to eight pro-independence activists in four cases on Friday 24 July 2026, ending proceedings that had remained pending before the court. The decisions remove the outstanding criminal consequences for three people convicted over 2019 protest-related public disorder, a mayor connected with the 1-O referendum, and four former members of the Parliament bureau.

For Catalonia’s pro-independence political movement, the rulings close four cases linked to the 2017 referendum and the protests that followed the October 2019 Supreme Court verdict against independence leaders. One of the cases concerns the Parliament bureau led by former speaker Roger Torrent, who had already been acquitted of disobeying Constitutional Court orders.

Four cases were paused during constitutional challenge

The Supreme Court had suspended consideration of the four cases after filing a constitutional challenge in July 2024. It acted after the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled on 16 July 2026 that the law was compatible with EU law.

The Constitutional Court had previously upheld the law’s constitutionality. Its ruling was published in the Official State Gazette on 31 July 2025.

“The facts that gave rise to this procedure would leave no doubt as to their subsumption under Article 1 of the amnesty law. Consequently, the objective scope of application is met,” the Supreme Court said in its four interlocutory decisions.

Who is covered by the decisions

  • Three protesters convicted of aggravated public disorder during demonstrations following the October 2019 verdict in the Catalan independence trial.
  • A mayor accused of assigning school-related responsibilities to facilitate the 1-O referendum, held on 1 October 2017.
  • Four members of the Parliament bureau, headed by Roger Torrent, in a case involving alleged disobedience of Constitutional Court rulings.

The Supreme Court concluded that the conduct in each of the four cases fell within Article 1 of the amnesty law. The court’s decisions bring those proceedings to an end.

Primary sources: TRIBUNAL CONSTITUCIONAL, TRIBUNAL CONSTITUCIONAL, TRIBUNAL CONSTITUCIONAL. Reported by Martí Odriozola i Marcé, russpain.com, Daniel Caballero Publicado: 24 de julio de 2026, 16:16, euractiv.com, Gerard Fageda, Al Jazeera Staff, hj.tribunalconstitucional.es, TRIBUNAL CONSTITUCIONAL, News Desk, catalannews.com, El Debate, EP, Mayte Piulachs, Diari ARA.