MADRID, August 8. /TASS/. Former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont addressed his supporters in the center of Barcelona and then disappeared in the crowd. Although the event was filmed by a large number of journalists, the politician's whereabouts are now unknown, the El Mundo newspaper reported.
According to the media, the police have not yet arrested Puigdemont. He returned to Spain for the first time since he fled about seven years ago. Puigdemont, who is subject to a national arrest warrant, wanted to attend the regional parliamentary debate that has begun on whether to approve the candidacy of Socialist Salvador Illa to lead the autonomous community. The Cadena SER radio station reported, in turn, that Catalan police have launched a special operation to prevent Puigdemont's possible escape, including controls at the exits of Barcelona.
It is not yet known how Puigdemont managed to reach Barcelona unhindered. After addressing hundreds of supporters, the crowd surrounded him to escort him to the regional parliament and prevent him from being arrested, as originally planned. However, it soon became clear that Puigdemont was not among those making their way to the chamber.
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.