Spain’s Supreme Court has dropped a terrorism investigation into former Catalan President and separatist leader Carles Puigdemont. The probe, which began in February, was related to his alleged connections with the pro-independence civil disobedience group Democratic Tsunami, known for organizing demonstrations in 2019.
Supreme Court magistrate Susana Polo shelved the case following a ruling by Spainâs National Court. The National Court found that investigating judge Manuel GarcĂa-CastellĂłn had improperly extended his investigation into Democratic Tsunami in June 2021. This procedural error invalidated all subsequent inquiries and the designation of Puigdemont as a target earlier this year.
Despite the closure of the terrorism investigation, Puigdemont still faces legal challenges. A 2017 arrest warrant for embezzlement remains in effect against him. This warrant was issued after Puigdemont fled to Belgium following an unsuccessful Catalan independence referendum.
Additionally, the Supreme Court recently rejected a request to apply Spainâs new amnesty law to Puigdemont and other Catalan independence leaders. In response, the Spanish governmentâs legal service appealed the ruling, arguing that the court had taken a “micro-literal interpretation” of the law.
Thus, while the terrorism probe has been shelved, Puigdemontâs legal battles are far from over.
