A controversial amnesty for Catalan separatists has entered into force in Spain.
The "Law for institutional, political and social normalization in Catalonia," published in the Spanish Official Gazette on Tuesday, means that separatists who fled abroad to escape the Spanish justice system can return home without fear of arrest.
Most notable among these figures is former regional government leader Carles Puigdemont, who was wanted for holding what the Spanish authorities regarded as an illegal referendum on Catalan independence nearly seven years ago.
The adoption of the amnesty law in parliament at the end of May was preceded by heated debates and several votes in both houses of parliament, and led to street protests.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez had promised the "Catalanistas" the amnesty and other concessions in order to secure the votes of two separatist parties for his re-election last November.
Separatist leader Puigdemont's liberal Junts party and the left-wing ERC are both still seeking Catalonia's secession from Spain. However, Sánchez wants to prevent this and defuse the conflict through dialogue.
Some 400 or so people are expected to be covered by the law.
After the Catalonia referendum in autumn 2017, the conservative central government placed the region under its administration. Puigdemont fled with some of his supporters and has been living in exile in Belgium ever since.