Politics · Spain · 13 hrs ago
Spain’s National Court amnesties 12 CDR members charged with terrorism
Spain’s National Court has applied the amnesty law to 12 CDR members who were charged with terrorism.
The case involved people detained in Operation Judas, which was linked to the Catalan independence process.
The court has dismissed and archived the case, ending the defendants’ criminal liability under the amnesty.
The case had been paused while the court asked the EU’s top court to assess the amnesty law and its compatibility with European rules.
In July, that court found the law did not harm EU interests or breach the bloc’s rules on terrorism.
The prosecution and defence both sought the case’s dismissal after that ruling, and the National Court has now granted it.
Spain’s National Court has closed the terrorism case against 12 members of the Committees for the Defence of the Republic (CDR), applying the country’s amnesty law.
The court said the alleged acts did not involve serious intentional human rights violations, a condition relevant to whether the amnesty applies.
The case concerned alleged plans for sabotage and violent actions in Catalonia after the 2019 judgment against leaders of the independence movement.
The proceedings were suspended in September 2024 while the court sought guidance from the Court of Justice of the European Union.
The European court ruled in July 2026 that EU law did not prevent an amnesty for terrorism offences that did not involve serious human rights violations.
- Who
- Spain’s National Court amnestied 12 CDR members accused of terrorism.
- What
- It closed the case against them under Spain’s amnesty law.
- When
- The decision was announced on 23 October 2026.
- Where
- Spain; the alleged activities involved sites in Catalonia.
- Why
- The court concluded the alleged acts did not involve serious intentional human rights violations and fell within the amnesty law.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Spain’s amnesty law was approved.
The 12 CDR members were detained in the Operation Judas investigation.
The National Court suspended the case and referred questions about the amnesty to the EU court.
The EU court ruled that the amnesty did not conflict with EU law in cases without serious human rights violations.
The National Court applied the amnesty and closed the case against the 12 members.
- People affected
- 12 CDR members
- Court
- Spain’s National Court
- Investigation
- Operation Judas
- Case suspended
- September 2024
- Ruling date
- 23 October 2026
- EU court decision
- July 2026
4 sources
La Audiencia Nacional aplica la amnistía a los CDR acusados de terrorismo
La Audiencia Nacional aplica la amnistía a los 12 miembros de los CDR acusados de terrorismo
La Audiencia Nacional amnistía a los doce CDR procesados por terrorismo
La Audiencia Nacional amnistía a los miembros de los CDR procesados por terrorismo
What people are saying
ha de entenderse que en dicha Ley han de incluirse los hechos que son objeto de este procedimiento y que figuran en los escritos de calificación provisional del Ministerio Fiscal y de la acusación popular
no menoscaba