Spanish judge indicts PM's wife Begoña Gómez, seizes passport over flight risk, she now faces a popular jury trial for corruption

The restrictions

Judge Peinado opened oral proceedings against Begoña Gómez, the wife of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, on 20 June 2026. He imposed pre‑trial measures that include confiscating her passport, prohibiting her from leaving Spanish territory and requiring her to appear at the Madrid court every 15 days to sign. The ruling follows a preliminary hearing that took place on Monday, according to a court order cited by Spanish media including EFE and Europa Press.

The case stems from an investigation into the creation of a chair at Madrid’s Complutense University, which Gómez co‑directed, and alleges misuse of public resources and influence‑peddling. She was formally charged in April with four offences: influence trafficking, business corruption, embezzlement of public funds and misappropriation.

Judge’s flight‑risk reasoning

Peinado’s written justification says there are “reasonable grounds to suspect a criminal act” and points to a risk that the defendant might try to evade justice. The most contested passage asserts that the police officers who protect Gómez could themselves facilitate an escape.

There is no doubt that these agents, on their own initiative or following orders from their hierarchical superiors, could be precisely those who collaborate in the action or actions carried out to facilitate that flight.

The remark immediately drew fire from the government. Even the judge’s broader framing, that a person accompanied by state security could still flee, was described by Moncloa sources as persecution and an obsession lacking any legal sense.

Political backlash

Transport Minister Óscar Puente called the ruling an “ignominy” on social media and demanded a response from police union leaders. PSOE Organization Secretary Rebeca Torró labelled the measure “excessive and disproportionate,” while party spokesperson Montse Mínguez branded the decision “delirious and shameful” and launched the hashtag #YoConBegoña. Executive member Borja Cabezón said the order “exceeds all possible and imaginable limits.”

The conservative People’s Party has so far remained silent on Peinado’s decision.

Contrast with the Zapatero ruling

The same week, judge José Luis Calama denied a request to seize former prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero’s passport in a separate investigation. Calama argued that Zapatero’s public notoriety and deep roots in Spain made it virtually impossible for him to disappear or evade the proceedings. Peinado’s opposite conclusion in Gómez’s case has intensified accusations of inconsistency and political motivation.

Legal path ahead

The trial will be heard before a popular jury, a format that involves citizens directly in the verdict. However, the decision is not yet final: Spanish media report that the indictment must be reviewed by a higher court. Gómez’s assistant is also listed among the accused.