Fugitive former Catalan leader plans to return to Spain despite threat of arrest over failed secession attempt

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Carles PuigdemontThe former leader of Catalonia who fled Spain after organizing an illegal independence referendum in the wealthy Spanish region nearly seven years ago has announced he plans to return home on Thursday despite the likelihood of arrest.

Puigdemont, 61, who fled to Belgium after the breakaway bid in October 2017 quickly passed out, said on Wednesday that he would attend an event organized by his political party Together for Catalonia (Junts) near Barcelona’s regional parliament building, hours before a new regional government took office.

He did not say when or how he would arrive in Spain. The political event in Barcelona will likely bring together many Puigdemont supporters.

Mossos D’Esquadra, Catalonia’s regional police, says it intends to obey court orders to arrest Puigdemont if he returns.

In his announcement on YouTube, Puigdemont acknowledged that he “cannot freely participate” in the scheduled parliamentary session and accused the authorities of “a long persecution” for the failed attempt at rupture.

“This challenge must be responded to and faced,” he said.

Puigdemont’s return is expected to generate renewed political tension over the latent issue of Catalan independence. The failed secession attempt triggered a prolonged constitutional crisis in Spain.

Puigdemont and his supporters have long taken a confrontational and sometimes provocative stance toward Spain’s central authorities, especially the Madrid-based government.

The return of the former Catalan leader threatened to complicate an agreement negotiated after months of deadlock between Salvador Illa’s Catalan Socialist Party (PSC) and the other main Catalan separatist party, the left-wing Esquerra Republicana (ERC).

This agreement secured sufficient support in Parliament of Catalonia for Illa to become the next regional president at an investiture debate on Thursday, scheduled shortly after Puigdemont’s first planned event and taking place amid tight security.

Puigdemont, wanted on charges of misuse of public funds, among other crimes, during the secession attempt, dedicated his career to the goal of building a new country in the northeast of Spain – a struggle that has lasted decades. His largely uncompromising approach has brought political conflict with other separatist parties as well as Spain’s central government.

A controversial amnesty bill drafted by the Socialist-led Spanish coalition government could potentially clear Puigdemont and hundreds of other supporters of Catalan independence of any irregularities in the illegal 2017 vote.

But the bill, approved by the Spanish parliament at the beginning of this year, it is being challenged for the Supreme Court, leaving uncertainty about which crimes would be forgiven. Puigdemont could be placed in pre-trial detention.

Puigdemont’s escape from Spain became a legend among his followers and a huge source of embarrassment for the Spanish authorities. He is a celebrated figure for many Catalans who want to separate themselves from the rest of Spain.

Earlier this year, Puigdemont denied hiding in the boot of a car to avoid detection while crossing the border after the referendum. The subsequent legal repression landed several of his companions in prison until the government of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez pardoned them.

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Barry Hatton reported from Lisbon, Portugal.