The Supreme Court of Spain on Thursday granted a blanket amnesty to four former leaders of the Catalan independence movement – former president Oriol Junqueras, former minister of Economy Jordi Bassa, former minister of Territory Joaquim Turull and former foreign minister Josep Romeva – and lifted the political disqualification that had barred them from holding public office.
Legal background and court ruling
The four men were convicted in 2019 of embezzlement and misuse of public funds in connection with the 2017 Catalan independence referendum, an event the Spanish Constitutional Court declared illegal. Their sentences included prison terms and a ten‑year ban from public office, a sanction that has remained in force despite numerous appeals.
Earlier this year the Constitutional Court ordered the Supreme Court to consider an amnesty for the convicted officials, a directive the highest court complied with, according to todoalicante.es. The Supreme Court’s decision, reported by La Voz de Galicia and Diari ARA, applies the amnesty uniformly to Junqueras, Bassa, Turull and Romeva and formally removes their disqualification penalties.
Political reaction
The Catalan regional government hailed the ruling as a long‑awaited victory. Demócrata noted that the Generalitat described the amnesty as “the historical demand of the Govern” and said it “applauds the amnesty for Junqueras and Turull.” The government’s spokesperson added that the decision fulfills a core objective of the pro‑independence coalition that has been seeking to restore the political rights of its leaders.
The Spanish central government refrained from extensive comment, but officials in Madrid have acknowledged that the Supreme Court’s action aligns with the Constitutional Court’s earlier interpretation of the law.
“Justice has finally been done,” Junqueras said after the court’s announcement.
Junqueras, who served as Catalonia’s president from 2016 until his removal in 2017, celebrated the outcome, declaring that the amnesty marks the end of a “political persecution” that had kept him and his colleagues out of public life. His statement, cited by Demócrata, underscores the symbolic importance of the decision for the pro‑independence movement.
Political analysts note that while the amnesty restores the right to run for office, it does not erase the underlying convictions. The Supreme Court’s ruling therefore represents a legal reconciliation rather than a full exoneration, and it may set a precedent for how Spain handles other cases linked to the 2017 referendum.
International observers are watching the development closely, as it could influence broader debates over regional autonomy and the rule of law within the European Union. The amnesty, however, is unlikely to settle the underlying political conflict between Madrid and the Catalan separatist bloc, which continues to demand a new referendum on independence.
