Briefing
The key point: the full bench of the Tribunal Constitucional issued a ruling, the outcome of which was published on 6 October 2026, upholding the application of the Ley de Amnistía adopted in 2024 to certain cases of malversación connected with the Catalan “procés”. The ruling draws on the interpretation of European case law and clarifies which acts are covered by the amnesty.
This provides those affected with a legal route that could form the basis for subsequently lifting precautionary measures in criminal proceedings. Legal effects remain provisional: after the ruling became known, the investigating judge of the Tribunal Supremo, Pablo Llarena, in an order issued on 6 October, suspended the national search and arrest warrants against former Generalitat President Carles Puigdemont and former ministers Toni Comín and Lluís Puig, with immediate but provisional effect.
In his letter, the judge stressed that the suspension was solely to assess the implications of the Constitutional Court’s ruling. It did not amount to a final suspension of criminal liability or the practical application of the amnesty. Further proceedings: the Tribunal Constitucional’s ruling must be formally implemented by the Tribunal Supremo; the amnesty will only be practically applicable, and the criminal consequences finally removed, once the Supreme Court has issued a corresponding decision. Until then, the current status remains provisional: the national arrest warrants are suspended, while the case file remains open.
Political and legal context: the amnesty legislation of June 2024 provides the legal framework; the Constitutional Court’s interpretation sets out the conditions governing its scope. Spanish media and news agencies have reported the steps described above consistently; official documents are available from the Tribunal Constitucional and in the Boletín Oficial del Estado . For journalistic context: the steps reported here are supported by official statements and reports from major Spanish news agencies; their final legal effect depends on further decisions by the Tribunal Supremo.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).