Catalan Separatist Leader Loses EU Court Fight Over Immunity

  • Puigdemont fails to overturn European Parliament decisions
  • EU General Court ruling can be appealed to top EU court

Carles Puigdemont

Photographer: Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP/Getty Images

Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont lost a European Union court fight to reinstate his parliamentary immunity, in a decision that could stoke tensions back in Spain ahead of a general election.

The European Parliament stripped Puigdemont of his immunity in 2021, paving the way for his extradition back to Spain where he is sought for his role in a botched independence referendum when he was Catalonia’s regional president.