Politics · Spain · 15 hrs ago
Spain’s Supreme Court judge ends prosecution step against Puigdemont
Judge Pablo Llarena ended the prosecution stage for Carles Puigdemont and former Catalan ministers Antoni Comín and Lluís Puig.
The case concerns public money used for Catalonia’s 2017 independence referendum, which the three were accused of helping organize and fund.
Spain’s 2024 amnesty law covers specific conduct linked to the independence drive, and a Constitutional Court ruling on October 6 said public funding alone did not rule out amnesty.
Llarena says evidence against the three still exists, but it does not amount to a finding of guilt.
He says the amnesty law and the Constitutional Court’s interpretation mean the prosecution cannot continue, and has sent the case to the Supreme Court’s criminal chamber.
That chamber will decide whether to dismiss the case permanently under the amnesty law.
National arrest warrants for the three had already been lifted on October 6.
Supreme Court judge Pablo Llarena has ended the investigation stage against Carles Puigdemont and former Catalan officials Antoni Comín and Lluís Puig over alleged misuse of public funds in the 2017 independence referendum.
Llarena has cancelled their formal prosecution and sent the case to the Supreme Court’s Criminal Chamber to decide whether to close it permanently under Spain’s amnesty law.
He said evidence of their alleged involvement remains, but a Constitutional Court ruling means the prosecution cannot continue.
The case concerns alleged use of public funds to organise and finance the 1 October 2017 referendum.
National arrest warrants against the three had already been lifted on 6 October.
- Who
- Judge Pablo Llarena and the three defendants: Carles Puigdemont, Antoni Comín and Lluís Puig.
- What
- Llarena cancelled their formal prosecution and sent the case to the Supreme Court’s Criminal Chamber to consider closing it under the amnesty law.
- When
- 3 November 2026.
- Where
- Spain’s Supreme Court.
- Why
- A Constitutional Court ruling found that public funding of the referendum, by itself, did not constitute personal financial benefit that would exclude amnesty.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Puigdemont, Comín and Puig were formally prosecuted in the case.
The Constitutional Court ruled in Dolors Bassa’s favour, and Llarena lifted the three men’s national arrest warrants.
Llarena cancelled the three men’s formal prosecution and sent the case to the Supreme Court’s Criminal Chamber.
- Defendants
- Carles Puigdemont, Antoni Comín and Lluís Puig
- Judge
- Pablo Llarena
- Referendum at issue
- 1 October 2017
- Formal prosecution began
- 21 March 2018
- Next step
- Supreme Court Criminal Chamber to consider final closure under the amnesty law
- Constitutional Court ruling
- 6 October 2026
4 sources
Llarena deja sin efecto el procesamiento de Puigdemont y envía la causa a la Sala para su archivo
El juez Llarena deja sin efecto el procesamiento de Puigdemont por malversación
El juez Llarena aplica la amnistía a Puigdemont
Llarena cierra la instrucción contra Puigdemont, Comín y Puig y envía el caso a la Sala Penal para que aplique la amnistía
What people are saying
subsisten los indicios de participación
conservan el alcance indiciario propio del procesamiento, sin constituir una declaración de culpabilidad
impiden mantener el procesamiento
subsisten los indicios