Prosecutors in favor of pardoning referendum leaders of embezzlement

Prosecutors are in favor of granting a pardon to some of the leaders of the 2017 Catalan independence referendum for the crime of embezzlement. 

The public office has reported that they are in favor of granting a pardon to former Catalan vive president, Oriol Junqueras, as well as former ministers Raül Romeva, Dolors Bassa, and Jordi Turull.

Each of the politicians are still serving their sentences of disqualification handed down by the Supreme Court in 2019.

Each had been imprisoned for more than three years but were released from jail in early 2021 when they were given a pardon from Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. However, their conviction for misuse of public funds has still stood, meaning they cannot hold public office.

The request for a pardon, presented by an individual last July, follows the usual processing by the Ministry of Justice, which goes on to ask the opinion of the prosecutor's office and the sentencing court.

The Supreme Court, however, has refused to apply the amnesty to referendum leaders, considering that the embezzlement falls within the exceptions of the law. This is the same reason that Carles Puigdemont is still sought by authorities. 

In her letter explaining her reasons for supporting a pardon, deputy prosecutor of the Supreme Court, Ángeles Sánchez Conde, said that the office believes the case is "likely to be amnestiable" because the facts  "fall within the objective scope of the amnesty law."