Ex-Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont returns to Spain after 7 years as a fugitive

Former Catalonia leader Carles Puigdemont, who fled Spain after organising an illegal independence referendum nearly seven years ago, has returned to the country despite a pending arrest warrant(Joan Mateu/AP)

Former Catalonia leader Carles Puigdemont, who fled Spain after organising an illegal independence referendum in the wealthy Spanish region nearly seven years ago, returned to the country on Thursday despite a pending arrest warrant.

He defiantly appeared in Barcelona after travelling from Belgium and faces charges of embezzlement for his part in the attempt to break Catalonia away from the rest of Spain.