Fugitive ex-Catalan leader plans return to Spain despite threat of arrest over failed secession bid

abcnews.go.com:

Former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont says he plans to return to his country on Thursday despite the likelihood of being arrested on his return

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

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

He did not say when or how he would arrive in Spain. The political event in Barcelona is likely to gather many Puigdemont supporters.

The Mossos D'Esquadra, the regional police in Catalonia, say that they intend to obey court orders to arrest Puigdemont, if he does return.

In his announcement made on YouTube, Puigdemont recognized that he “cannot attend freely” the scheduled parliamentary session and accused authorities of “a long persecution” over the unsuccessful breakaway attempt.

“This challenge must be answered and confronted,” he said.

Puigdemont's return is likely to generate renewed political tension over the smoldering issue of Catalan independence. The failed secession attempt triggered a protracted constitutional crisis in Spain.

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

The former Catalan leader’s return threatened to complicate a deal