The Spanish Supreme Court withdrew an international arrest warrant for the former president of Catalonia less than two weeks ahead of elections, which the fugitive politician hopes will put his plans for the region to become an independent nation back on track.
In a ruling, Supreme Court Judge Pablo Llarena said charges against Carles Puigdemont involved multiple suspects and any setbacks in attempts to extradite him could prejudice wider attempts to prosecute those responsible for Catalonia's unilateral declaration of independence Oct. 27. Puigdemont fled to Belgium after Spain suspended Catalonia's self-government, escaping charges including sedition, rebellion and embezzlement of public funds to pay for an outlawed referendum on secession.
Llarena also suspended European arrest warrants against four former members of Puigdemont's government, although Spanish arrest warrants still stand. The five politicians were granted conditional release by a Belgian judge Nov. 5.
Puigdemont is now campaigning from his Belgian exile ahead of the regional elections Dec. 21. A new poll by the Centro de Investigaciones Sociologicas showed that pro-independence parties including Puigdemont's Junts per Catalunya could fall one seat short of a majority in the regional parliament after the vote.
