Supreme Court shelves Tsunami Democràtic terrorist case against Puigdemont

The judge of Spain's Supreme Court, Susana Polo, has shelved the judicial case of the Tsunami Democràtic protest group where former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont was facing terrorism charges.

Aside of Puigdemont, pro-independence Esquerra Republicana party member and MP Rubén Wagensberg will also benefit from this judicial decision.

Polo shelved the case after Spain's National Court, on Monday, dismissed part of the case due to a procedural error, meaning that all investigations from July 2021 had to be disregarded.

The Supreme Court's judge states that before July 29, 2021 there "was no investigation in the Tsunami Democràtic protest group case that included both under investigation for the charges they are facing."

Marta Rovira to return after six years in exile

The secretary general of Esquerra Marta Rovira will soon return to Catalonia after six years living in exile in Switzerland.

The pro-independence leader can now return without being arrested, following the filing of the Tsunami Democràtic case, in which she was accused of terrorism.

"I am emotional, it is a very special moment. I had to pinch myself a few times yesterday," she told Rac1 radio.

Rovira said it was "poetic justice" the way the case was shelved due to a procedural error, as the judge delayed the case for years to "politicize" it.

The pro-independence leader said she had not yet made a decision on when she would return to Catalonia, although she said she would like to be present at this weekend's Esquerra meeting.

However, she said she would like to return with Esquerra deputy Ruben Wagensber, which could now happen after the Supreme Court's decision.

'Disappointed,' 'to continue battling,' and 'should never have happened'

The conservative People's Party is "disappointed" after the judge decided to shelve the Tsunami Democràtic protest case.

The party considers that those who were under investigation did "terrorist acts" and "pushed for violence" on Barcelona and other Catalan cities' streets, as Juan Fernández, People's Party MP, said on Tuesday from the Catalan parliament.

Groups favoring pro-independence ideas "damaged our society as a whole and attacked against Catalonia's democracy and reputation," he added.

On a similar note, the far-right Vox party considered that the decision was just because of a procedural error and not because of a change of the law, in reference to the new amnesty law for all those pro-independence figures under investigation for their role in the independence push.

However, they have announced they will continue battling because "as many words we say, it was terrorism because it caused fear and those responsible should go to prison," Joan Garriga, Vox spokesperson in the Catalan parliament, said.

"Tsunami Democràtic was a group of criminals and terrorists that would demonstrate against a judicial ruling and would protest not in court or appealing the decision but breaking up the city and burning down bins," he added.

Meanwhile, the Catalan government spokesperson, Patrícia Plaja,  celebrated the decision but said that the "persecution has not yet finished."

It was "obvious" that protesting was not terrorism, Plaja said and added that "this time, justice has been made" during the press conference after the weekly cabinet meeting.

She said that despite it finishes, "it should not have even started" as this "has not been a game, but a very biased investigation."

Tsunami Democràtic investigation

Judge Manuel García-Castellón was investigating the actions of Tsunami Democràtic, a Catalan pro-independence activist group responsible for organizing massive demonstrations after the Catalan pro-independence movement leaders were sent to prison in October 2019. 

The judge was seeking terrorism charges against the organizers, including former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont and Marta Rovira, considering Tsunami Democràtic a "structured and hierarchical organization" with the aim of "subverting Spain's constitutional order and destabilizing the state economically and politically through massive social protests."

The case was open for several crimes, including terrorism, also for the injuries of two national police officers during a demonstrations and the death of a French tourist during the mobilization at El Prat airport, all in October 2019,  after the veridict that condemned in jail pro-independence leaders.