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14:00 GMT
MADRID, March 14 (KUNA) -- Spain's House of Representatives passed on Thursday a law pardoning leaders and those involved in the 2017 separatist movement in the autonomous region of Catalonia.
The "controversial" law was passed by 178 MPs, including those of the socialist party, which has 120 seats. Some 172 MPs voted against the law. The law needed a vast majority of 176 votes to be passed.
The law now will be relayed to the Senate led by the rightwing conservative popular party with expectation of a delay of about months, which was in line with the Spanish constitution.
The senate cannot cancel the law and it would be put into motion by next May.
The pardon includes former leader of the Catalonia region Carles Puigdemont who fled to Brussels, members of his government, and other prominent figures whether in Spanish custody or on the run.
This is the second time the pardoning legislation was voted on by the House of Representatives after pro-Catalonian parties called for more assurances for those fleeing from Spain.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez affirmed that the passing of the law was very important to end the worse political crisis facing the country in the past 45 years. He pointed out that the law also was keen on reconciling with Catalonians.
Some right-wing officials deemed the attempts at pardoning the separatists as an act of treason against Spain, calling on the government of Sanchez to resign.
Last November, Sanchez and separatist leaders made a deal that the first would be reelected as Prime Minister in exchange to pardoning all those partaking in the attempt to separate from Spain in 2017 whether directly or in-directly. The pardoning should cover activities between 2012 and 2023. (end)
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