Begoña Gómez ordered to hand over passport before trial; judge cites Italian PM's flight as risk precedent
Judge Peinado revoked the Spanish PM's wife's passport after prosecutors argued a former Italian premier fled justice in the 1990s. Gómez is appealing, calling the measures disproportionate, while the government describes the case as a 'theft of rights'.
The judge's reasoning and the Italian precedent
The popular accusation, led by the organisation Hazte Oír, convinced Judge Juan Carlos Peinado that Begoña Gómez, wife of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, poses a flight risk before her trial for alleged influence peddling, business corruption, embezzlement, and misappropriation of software from the Complutense University of Madrid. The accusers' lawyer, Javier María Pérez-Roldán, pointed to the case of Bettino Craxi, the Italian socialist premier who fled to Tunisia in 1994 to avoid a 27-year prison sentence for political corruption. After hearing this historical reference, Peinado concluded that a prison term exceeding two years could not be ruled out, potentially leading to incarceration unless the sentence is suspended.
The judge ordered the withdrawal of all Gómez's passports, a ban on leaving Spain, and a requirement to appear at the court every two weeks. He also suggested that her police escort could facilitate a hypothetical flight, an assertion that drew immediate criticism from both the defence and police unions.
Appeals and accusations of judicial bias
Both Gómez and her assistant Cristina Álvarez, who is also charged, have filed appeals with the Madrid Provincial Court, demanding the measures be lifted. Gómez's lawyer, Antonio Camacho, argues there is no risk of flight because she is permanently under a National Police security detail and has strong family, social, and professional ties. He called the judge's speculation about the escorts groundless.
Álvarez's defence went further. In her appeal, lawyer José María de Pablo described the auto as
grave, impertinent and disrespectful
and criticised the judge for relying on jurisprudence from a drug-trafficking and organised-crime case. The appeal also questions the judge's impartiality, noting that during the 15 June hearing he appeared to pressure the popular accusation not to withdraw a request for measures against a co-defendant, businessman Juan Carlos Barrabés.
Government reaction
Government spokesman Elma Saiz said the procedure "should never have reached this point" and called it
a theft of rights and guarantees solely because she is the president's wife.
Digital Transformation Minister Óscar López insisted the case was "an abuse from the first minute", filed by "an ultra-right organisation". Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska criticised the judge's comments about the police after unions also complained.
Next steps in the case
Cristina Álvarez handed in her passport early on 23 June, a day before the official deadline. Begoña Gómez is required to surrender hers on 24 June at 18:00 at the Madrid court. The seized documents will be kept in a strongbox, and the travel ban will remain in force until a final ruling. The popular accusation, Hazte Oír, is seeking 24 years in prison for Gómez, 22 for Álvarez, and 6 for Barrabés.
- Preliminary hearing; Judge Peinado issues auto ordering passport withdrawal, exit ban, and bi-weekly appearances.
- Cristina Álvarez hands in her passport early; both defences file appeals with the Madrid Provincial Court.
- Begoña Gómez summoned to surrender passport at the Madrid court.
The defence teams hope the Madrid Provincial Court will overturn Peinado's decision, arguing that the measures violate the fundamental right to free movement and are disproportionate to the alleged risks.
