MADRID, Spain — Judge Juan Carlos Peinado has ordered an oral trial by jury for Begoña Gómez, the wife of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, while imposing strict precautionary measures that include the revocation of her passport, a ban on leaving the country, and mandatory court appearances every fifteen days. The defense has announced it will appeal the restrictive measures, though the magistrate’s decision to send the case to trial is legally unappealable.
The magistrate outlined the decision in an extensive 84-page ruling released on Saturday, following a preliminary hearing where citizen prosecution groups requested precautionary measures citing a flight risk. The judge extended identical travel restrictions to Gómez’s advisor, Cristina Álvarez, for the duration of the legal proceedings. The court formally accuses both women of influence peddling, business corruption, misappropriation, and embezzlement of public funds. Additionally, businessman Juan Carlos Barrabés will face trial for influence peddling and private-sector business corruption.
In justifying the severe precautionary measures, Judge Peinado argued that the gravity of the potential sentences increases the temptation to flee. In a highly controversial passage of the ruling, the magistrate suggested that the state security agents currently protecting Gómez due to her status as the prime minister’s wife might eventually facilitate her escape, either on their own initiative or following orders from superiors. He further noted that her husband’s political position is temporary, meaning her security detail would eventually disappear, thereby increasing the flight risk. The judge also drew historical parallels, stating that the alleged use of presidential palaces for personal enrichment resembles the practices of forgotten absolutist regimes, specifically referencing the reign of King Ferdinand VII.
The investigation centers on allegations that Gómez leveraged her political influence to secure sponsorships for a university chair and two master’s programs she co-directed at the Complutense University of Madrid. The prosecution alleges a coordinated effort between Gómez and her advisor to divert private funds intended for the public university into their personal patrimony, utilizing software developed by Barrabés. The judge also holds Gómez civilly liable for 113,765 euros in damages claimed by the university. Furthermore, a separate judicial piece was recently opened to investigate alleged prevarication and fraud against European Union interests related to Barrabés.
BREAKING:
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) June 20, 2026
A judge has decided that Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez’s wife Begoña Gómez will stand trial on corruption and embezzlement charges.
She has been banned from leaving the country and has to appear at a court every fifteen days before the trial.
She risks 24 years in prison. pic.twitter.com/NBWvH1G5K6
The ruling has triggered a massive political earthquake, with the Prime Minister’s office and senior government officials fiercely condemning the judge’s actions. Sources from the Moncloa Palace criticized the decision as a disproportionate obsession lacking any legal basis, describing it as a purely political persecution. Government ministers took to social media to express their outrage. Presidency Minister Félix Bolaños called it a disastrous day for justice, while Digital Transformation Minister Óscar López described the ruling as an unprecedented abuse that erodes the rule of law. Transport Minister Óscar Puente specifically attacked the judge’s comments regarding the police escorts, calling the assertion an ignominy enabled by higher judicial bodies.
The Socialist Party rallied behind Gómez, with multiple officials and regional leaders denouncing the trial as a democratic scandal and an unjustified witch hunt against an innocent person. Conversely, the political opposition seized upon the judicial development. The secretary-general of the conservative Popular Party, Miguel Tellado, demanded immediate elections, accusing the current administration of turning the government into a criminal organization and insisting that Spain deserves a government that does not steal. Meanwhile, the citizen prosecution group Hazte Oír, which is seeking lengthy prison sentences for all three defendants, celebrated the ruling as a great day for freedom and a vindication of the citizen prosecution mechanism.
Popular Accusation Demands 24 Years in Prison for Begoña Gómez, Wife of Spanish Prime Minister
As the legal proceedings advance toward a jury trial, the political fallout continues to dominate the national discourse, highlighting the deep polarization surrounding the case.
