Former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont welcomed a Spanish court decision allowing an amnesty to apply to him and lifting his arrest warrant, potentially allowing him to return to Spain after nine years in exile. 

Puigdemont said, however, that the amnesty does not resolve the broader political dispute between Catalonia and Spain or the independence aspirations of some Catalans.

He argued that the legal proceedings against him represented an improper use of judicial powers, while Spanish courts have been dealing with his role in the failed 2017 independence bid.

The 2024 amnesty law opened the possibility of his return, but his arrest warrant over an embezzlement allegation remained in place until the latest court decision, Euro News has reported.

Puigdemont has not said when he will return to Spain, but he continues to lead the pro-independence Junts party and remains an influential figure in Spanish politics.