Catalan separatist Puigdemont back in Spain after years in exile

Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont returned to Spain on Thursday after almost seven years in exile, despite being wanted on an arrest warrant.

Puigdemont appeared in Barcelona in the morning, accompanied by politicians from his liberal Junts party, and addressed a crowd of his supporters.

"They have been persecuting us for seven years just because we wanted to give a voice to the people of Catalonia," he said.

Puigdemont sought to lead Catalonia to independence in 2017 with a referendum that was declared illegal.

He risks arrest as the judiciary accuses him of personal enrichment.

Puigdemont rejected the police's offer of an arranged and discreet arrest, according to a media report.

Puigdemont plans to be present at the planned election of socialist Salvador Illa in the region's parliament later in the day, though a large contingent of police is on hand seeking to prevent this.

Illa would be the first to hold the post in a long time to oppose Catalonia's secession from Spain.

Illa's party emerged as the strongest force from the snap election in May but needs the support of the left-wing separatist party ERC. He secured this through concessions on financial issues and the promotion of the Catalan language.

The second largest separatist party, Junts, opposed the agreement.