His return would put him back in the public eye at a key moment for Catalan politics.
After almost seven years evading Spanish Justice, the former president of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemonthas announced its intention to return to Spain. The decision carries great personal risk for the separatist leader, who now faces immediate arrest if he returns to the country he fled in October 2017.
Puigdemont traveled to Belgium just three days after Catalonia’s failed declaration of independence on October 27, 2017, after which he was dismissed as president of the regional Assembly and faced charges for rebellion, sedition and embezzlement.
Since then, he has been in a fierce political and judicial battle with the Government and the Spanish State. In an open letter to the Catalan people, Puigdemont explained that he is very aware of the risk of being arrestedbut he emphasizes that it is his last option to try avoid a pro-Spanish regional government in Catalonia, whose investiture vote is scheduled for this week.
Judge Pablo Llarena of the Supreme Court has confirmed that his arrest warrant remains in place despite the amnesty law approved by the national governmentstating that it does not cover the embezzlement charge, meaning that Puigdemont could face years in prison if he comes back.
How many years in prison could Puigdemont face?
If he finally returns to Spain this week, the former president of the Catalan Parliament and founder of Junts per Catalunya could face between two and six years in prison, with a disqualification of six to ten years. However, in aggravated cases, the penalties can increase to eight years in prison and 20 years of disqualification, according to articles 432 to 435 of the Penal Code.
His return would put him back under the eye of public opinion at a key moment for Catalan politics. Socialist Salvador Illa is about to become the next president of the Generalitat, after securing the votes of ERC. The socialists won the Catalan elections on May 12, in elections in which Puigdemont’s party (Junts) Was in second placelosing its absolute majority after 12 years of the ‘procés’.
