Spain’s parliament on Thursday gave final approval to an amnesty law for Catalonian political leaders charged with crimes following the controversial 2017 independence referendum.
The referendum, which passed 90 percent in favor and 10 percent against, came after Spain’s Constitutional Court declared it illegal. Leaders from Catalonia pushed forward with the referendum regardless. Spain’s constitutional court voided the democratic referendum, and the country’s high court announced that it would be investigating Catalonian officials for sedition.
The EFE reports that the new law would give amnesty to hundreds of pro-independence figures and was supported by Spain’s left-wing coalition government, two Catalan separatist parties, and other smaller political groups. The legislation passed 177-172, with the conservative Popular Party and right-wing Vox party opposing it, claiming it was a betrayal of the nation.
The amnesty could benefit high-level politicians who supported independence, including former Catalan regional President Carles Puigdemont, who fled to Belgium following the suppression of the October 2017 breakaway bid. Puigdemont has vowed to return to Spain once the law passes despite lingering charges that he misused public funds in 2017. It would also benefit former government officials, civil servants, and police officers participating in the secession attempt or protests. It is aimed to cover alleged crimes relating to the Catalan independence movement between November 2011 and November 2023.
The law was initially approved in March by the Spanish parliament’s lower house, el Congreso de los Diputados, before being vetoed by the Senate, where right-wing parties hold a majority. On Thursday, the lower house decided to push through the law despite concerns from the Senate.
The Catalonian independence movement, which focuses on securing an independent state for the Catalan people, has been agitating since 1922. Protests have continued in the area since the suppression of the results of the 2017 independence referendum. In the 2021 Catalan regional elections, pro-independence parties secured around 51 percent of the popular vote.
