 Carlos Puigdemont fled into self-imposed exile after the failed independence bid. This ruling means he and two other colleagues still face arrest warrants for alleged embezzlement, which they deny. It opens a can of worms for Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who negotiated the amnesty deal with Catalan nationalists in order to be able to form a working minority government. He faced fierce opposition from the right, who accused him of damaging Spain's sovereignty.