France

BARCELONA/MADRID, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Spain's socialists have reached a deal with the Catalan separatist Junts party, which will support the government in return for a controversial amnesty for officials and activists involved in Catalonia's separatist drive. The text of the future law has not yet been disclosed, but the agreement announced on Thursday offers some details of what it will entail and when it could come into force. AMNESTY'S SCOPE The amnesty will cover all events related to the Catalan independence drive from 2012 to present day, including a symbolic vote held in 2014 and an independence referendum in 2017, which was declared illegal by courts. That led to nine separatist leaders being convicted and jailed for between nine and 13 years for offences ranging from sedition to misuse of public funds. They were pardoned in 2021. The amnesty law is not expected to name specific beneficiaries to avoid being considered a mass pardon not allowed by the Spanish constitution. The most high-profile beneficiary would be Junts' founder Carles Puigdemont, who led Catalonia in 2017 and is fighting extradition to Spain from Belgium, where he fled following the short-lived independence declaration. He faces charges of disobedience and misuse of public funds in Spain, punishable by up to eight years in prison. JUDICIAL CAUSES AND PEOPLE INVOLVED Since 2012, when Catalan independence politicians started their efforts to break away from Spain, hundreds of people have faced legal action for alleged offences varying from sedition to embezzlement and disobedience. Catalan separatist organization Omnium has estimated up to some 1,500 of those prosecuted could be covered by the amnesty.