EU's top court upholds Spain's amnesty law for Catalan separatists

BARCELONA, July 16 - A disputed Spanish law granting an amnesty to those involved in Catalonia's separatist drive does not violate European Union rules, the EU's top court said on Thursday, in a boost to the Spanish government and its Catalan allies.

The amnesty approved in 2024 by the Spanish lower house was part of an agreement between the ruling Socialist Party and Catalan separatist groups, which allowed Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to stay in power in 2023, prompting unsuccessful attempts to block it by the conservative opposition.

Thursday's judgments clarified the scope and limits of member states' powers in adopting amnesty laws within the framework of EU rules.

In its decision, the Court of Justice (CJEU) ruled that EU law does not preclude the Spanish amnesty law, as its adoption and application fall within the competence of member states.

"(The court) does not oppose a law which, in order to reduce institutional and political tensions and facilitate a process of reconciliation, provides for the extinction of criminal liability," one of the CJEU's judges said when delivering the verdict.

However, the CJEU opposed one aspect of the amnesty law, saying it cannot impose on Spanish courts the obligation of lifting in a two-month period accounting responsibilities or preliminary proceedings set by national courts if they are awaiting a decision by the CJEU. REUTERS