Spanish parliament votes against amnesty bill for Catalan separatists

In a shock move, Spain’s parliament has blocked a controversial amnesty law aimed at benefiting Catalan separatists involved in separatist activities.

The Joint Party for Catalonia (JxCat) voted against the bill, fearing it would not provide sufficient protection to politicians under investigation for terrorism-related crimes.

Among them was a former president who was involved in Catalonia’s failed independence bid in 2017.

This law divided Spain.

The bill, introduced by the Socialist government of Pedro Sánchez, faced its first major parliamentary test on Tuesday.

Many nationalist parties, including former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont’s JxCat, support the amnesty, and the law is expected to be approved by parliament.

However, it was instead blocked after JxCat voted against it, arguing that it was judicial intervention aimed at blocking the law.

“We cannot participate in subjecting the Catalan independence movement to the whims of the Spanish judiciary, which has politicized it,” said JxCat spokeswoman Miriam Nogueras.

The conservative People’s Party (PP) and far-right party Vox, which have been fierce critics of the amnesty, also voted against it, leaving the bill with 171 votes, five votes short of the required majority.

The bill will now be sent back to a parliamentary committee and must be resubmitted within one month after amendments. The law also requires Senate approval before it goes into effect.

Last week, National Court Judge Manuel García-Castellón ordered Puigdemont and several others for their alleged involvement in Democratic Tsunami, a pro-independence activist group that staged mass protests in 2019. It has released a report suggesting it could be charged with terrorist offences. Barcelona’s El Prat Airport has been shut down.

The terrorism claim meant the former Catalan president risked being excluded from the pardon.

Mr. Sánchez’s socialists immediately negotiated with fellow nationalists from Juccat and the Catalan Republican Left (ERC) on amendments to the bill aimed at ensuring that Mr. Puigdemont remained within the scope of the amnesty. did.

The amendment said those involved in terrorist crimes that did not intentionally violate human rights would still be eligible for amnesty benefits.

Nevertheless, a second report released by García-Castellón found that the Democratic Tsunami may indeed have violated human rights.

In a separate development, another judge, Joaquín Aguirre, raised the possibility that Puigdemont could be investigated for high treason for his alleged contacts with Russian officials ahead of his 2017 attempted secession. That crime would also exclude him from pardon.

Despite JxCat calling for further amendments to the law to accommodate these developments, the Socialist Party insisted on leaving it untouched.

The ERC reprimanded XXSCat for voting in violation of the law.

“This law is strong enough that it cannot be changed by divided judges who want to force this law through,” said ERC’s Pilar Valrugera.

The right-wing opposition argues that the pardon is unconstitutional and that Mr. Sánchez is trying to force it because he needs the support of the ERC and JuxCat parliament.

“Sanchez decided to become a hostage.” [to Catalan nationalism]But we Spaniards have no intention of paying the ransom,” said PP leader Alberto Nuñez Feijó.