The Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Spain has officially closed the case of treason against former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont regarding alleged connections with Russia.
The decision by the Supreme Court judges follows a ruling by the higher court in Barcelona, which decided to close the case last year.
In the ruling received by Europa Press, the judges explained that “the only correct procedural decision is to archive the case without further delay.” They further clarified, “It is not for us, without an open legitimate procedural order, to analyze either the essence of the claim, which has been invalidated, or the correctness of the decision made with full jurisdiction by the High Court of Barcelona.”
The case, known as the “Volkhova case,” was initially sparked by an operation by the Spanish Civil Guard in October 2020. It was part of an investigation into the alleged embezzlement of public funds to organize riots by Catalan independence supporters.
Suspicion of ties between Catalan separatists and Russia first emerged following the 2017 independence referendum and the unrest that followed. During the investigation, it was revealed that Catalan officials, including former president Puigdemont, had contact with representatives of Vladimir Putin’s regime.
Puigdemont, who is currently residing outside Spain to avoid prosecution on other charges, has consistently denied any links to Russia.
