Spain: Court indicts wife of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, revokes her passport and bans her from leaving country

A Spanish court opened a trial against Begoña Gómez, wife of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, on four charges and imposed precautionary measures, including the revocation of all her passports and a ban on leaving the country, according to a court order released on Saturday.

The decision adds to the series of serious legal cases surrounding the left-wing leader, whose brother and several former close associates are on trial for corruption-related matters.

The restrictions imposed on Sánchez’s wife

The High Court of Justice of Madrid reported that the measure was adopted at the request of the Public Prosecutor’s Office and was ratified by the investigating judge. According to AFP, Judge Juan Carlos Peinado ordered Gómez to surrender all passports in her possession and to appear before the court twice a month until the case is resolved.

The case against Begoña Gómez centers on the creation of a chair at Complutense University of Madrid that she co-directed and on the alleged use of public funds and personal connections to further private interests.

The court indicated that “all border crossings and civil and military airports” will be notified to prevent Gómez from violating the order.

The court order does not set a date for the trial.

Corruption and nepotism: Pressure mounts on the socialist government

In April of last year, Peinado had formally charged Sánchez’s wife with the crimes of embezzlement, influence peddling, corruption and misappropriation of funds. The investigation began in April 2024 to determine whether Gómez had benefited from her position as the prime minister’s wife, allegations that both she and Sánchez deny.

As a result, opposition parties have demanded the resignation of Sánchez—whose government is propped up by fragile coalitions in a highly fragmented Parliament—and the calling of early elections, originally scheduled for next year.

In addition to his wife, the prime minister’s brother, David Sánchez, stood trial in recent weeks on charges of alleged favoritism in securing a public office. And in April, Sánchez’s former right-hand man and minister of transportation, José Luis Ábalos, stood trial for alleged illegal kickbacks linked to public contracts.