Spain - May 2024

On 30 May, Parliament narrowly approved an amnesty bill, which, once implemented, entails a release from liability for separatists involved in the 2017 Catalan secession attempt. The amnesty does not apply to cases of particularly heinous crimes such as torture, terrorism or serious inhumane treatment, and must be applied by courts on a case-by-case basis. The law passed with 177 votes in favour and 172 against. The amnesty law, which is expected to apply to an estimated 400 pro-independence activists and former public officials, has led to large-scale protests and criticism from opposition parties. A review of the law by the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe for compliance with the Rule of Law recommended greater precision in the law’s application to ensure legal certainty and cautioned against inadvertently terminating cases unrelated to the social tensions. The Venice Commission noted that the bill had followed an urgent procedure with limited public consultation, and recommended that passage of the bill require a higher qualified majority in Congress.  

Sources: The Venice Commission, El País (1), El País (2), Euronews, International IDEA, the Congress of Deputies, Foreign Policy, NPR