Spanish judges say Catalan amnesty could help PM Sanchez but imperil rule of law

FILE PHOTO: Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont walks with Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Diaz, Jaume Asens, former Member of the Congress of Deputies of Spain and Catalan MEP Antoni Comin, at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium September 4, 2023. REUTERS/File Photo

MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish judges have waded into a row over a possible amnesty for Catalonian separatists in return for their support for a new Socialist-led government, arguing that it serves the interests of acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez but not the country.

The amnesty law has been proposed by Sanchez, who is trying to form a government after a July election produced no outright winner, in exchange for the backing of two Catalan separatist parties.