MADRID, Spain — Begoña Gómez, the wife of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, has formally requested judicial authorization to travel abroad between July 7 and 10 to attend the NATO summit in Turkey and her daughter’s graduation in London. The petition comes despite her passport being confiscated last month by the investigating judge due to an alleged flight risk.
Her defense attorney, Antonio Camacho, submitted a written filing to Judge Juan Carlos Peinado asking for the temporary return of her travel documentation. The legal document details that Gómez would fly to Ankara on July 7 alongside the Spanish delegation on an official government aircraft to attend the 36th NATO Summit of Heads of State and Government. The defense emphasized that she has received an official invitation to participate in the event from Emine Erdogan, the wife of the Turkish President.
Following the summit in Turkey, the petition outlines that Gómez will route her return journey through London to attend her daughter’s academic graduation ceremony before flying back to Spain on a commercial flight on July 10. To address any security or flight-risk concerns raised by the court, the defense highlighted that the entire itinerary will be conducted under the protection of the Prime Minister’s official security detail, which inherently guarantees the safety and monitored movement of the First Lady throughout the trip.
Begoña Gómez ha solicitado permiso al juez Peinado para salir de España. La semana pasada el magistrado le retiró el pasaporte y le prohibió salir del país.
— Telediarios de TVE (@telediario_tve) June 30, 2026
Gómez está invitada a una cumbre de la OTAN en Turquía y quiere acudir a la graduación universitaria de su hija en Londres pic.twitter.com/VamUcWaiji
The travel request is set against a complex and highly scrutinized legal backdrop. On June 20, Judge Peinado confiscated Gómez’s passport and imposed a strict ban on her leaving Spanish territory, alongside a mandate to appear before the court every 15 days. These precautionary measures were implemented as the magistrate formally opened an oral trial with a popular jury against Gómez, her advisor Cristina Álvarez, and businessman Juan Carlos Barrabés. The trio is under investigation for alleged crimes including influence peddling, private-sector corruption, embezzlement, and misappropriation of public funds related to the First Lady’s professional activities at the Complutense University of Madrid. Álvarez also had her passport seized in the same judicial ruling.
In response to the judge’s decisions, Gómez’s legal team has escalated the matter by filing an appeal with the Provincial Court of Madrid. The legal challenge seeks to annul the confiscation of the passports for both Gómez and Álvarez, as well as the other precautionary measures mandated by the investigating magistrate, arguing that the restrictions are unwarranted.
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As the judicial process continues, the Provincial Court will review the appeal regarding the precautionary measures and the specific travel authorization request.
