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Fugitive Catalan separatist leader returns to Spain, defying arrest warrant

The politician intends to attend a debate in the region's parliament on whether to approve the candidacy of Socialist Salvador Illa to lead the autonomous community

MADRID, August 8. /TASS/. Former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont has returned to Spain for the first time since fleeing the country about seven years ago, according to a broadcast on the politician's YouTube channel.

The ex-leader still has an outstanding warrant for his arrest in the region. He appeared in the Catalan capital, Barcelona, where hundreds of the politician's supporters gathered to greet him. Some of those who came brought pictures of Puigdemont and esteladas (the unofficial flag of the Catalan states, which is the symbol of the region's independence supporters). The politician intends to attend a debate in the region's parliament on whether to approve the candidacy of Socialist Salvador Illa to lead the autonomous community. Many speculate that Puigdemont will be be arrested if he shows.

Ahead of his return, the former Catalan leader said that his arrest would be illegal.

In June, Spain enacted an amnesty law for those involved in the Catalan separatist process. However, Spain's Supreme Court did not grant amnesty to Puigdemont and left in force the national warrant for his arrest. The Supreme Court deemed that embezzling public funds, the crime which the politician is accused of, does not fall under amnesty.

The 61-year-old Puigdemont headed the Catalan government from 2016 to 2017. Under his leadership, the region held a separatist referendum on October 1, 2017, which Madrid initially called illegal. The politician was removed from office by a decision of the Spanish government, which then resorted to the unprecedented measure of partially stripping the region of its right to self-governance.

Puigdemont later fled Spain to Belgium. The Spanish judicial authorities failed to secure his extradition, even though Puigdemont was detained in Germany and Italy. He also won a seat as an MEP in 2019.

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