Briefing
The Audiencia Nacional on 23 October 2026 ordered the amnesty law to be applied to twelve people accused in the Operación Judas case. The ruling ends – insofar as its wording extends – the criminal proceedings against the individuals concerned, who are attributed to the Comitès de Defensa de la República and had previously been investigated over suspected terrorist offences. The ruling expressly refers to the conditions of the amnesty law passed in 2024 and to EU requirements, as set out by the Court of Justice of the European Union in its leading judgment of 16 July 2026.
According to sources involved, defence lawyers and the prosecution submitted applications and statements on the application of the amnesty; the chamber followed the interpretation that the legal requirements were met in the proceedings before it. The decision concerns the investigations conducted in connection with Operación Judas and applies only to the extent specified by the court; according to the court, the usual legal remedies remain available against the ruling.
Carles Puigdemont, chair of Junts per Catalunya and former President of the Generalitat, welcomed the decision and described it as “great news that has come very late, after unjust suffering”. Other political and legal figures in Catalonia and at national level continue to see a need for clarification regarding the scope of the law and possible consequences for ongoing proceedings.
The background is an amnesty package that has been hotly debated since 2024 and is intended to bring proceedings relating to the so-called Procés to an end under certain conditions. Its practical implementation has occupied numerous courts at various levels in recent months and repeatedly raised questions about its compatibility with European law. Today’s decision by the Audiencia Nacional is another step in the judicial application of this measure and is likely to trigger further political debate.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).