A Spanish judge has imposed new restrictions on Begoña Gómez, the wife of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, in a corruption case that has dogged the Spanish leader for two years. Gómez has denied any wrongdoing, and no trial date has been set.
What the court ordered
Investigating judge Juan Carlos Peinado issued the ruling on Saturday, June 20, ordering Gómez to hand over her passport and barring her from traveling abroad, Al Jazeera reported. She must also appear before the court every two weeks. The measures are precautionary steps taken while the case advances; they are not a verdict.
In the proceedings, Gómez is accused of embezzlement, influence peddling, corruption in business dealings and misappropriation of funds. The case centers on her role in the creation and management of a university chair at Madrid's Complutense University, and on allegations involving the use of public resources.
The allegations and the response
The investigation, opened in 2024, grew out of a complaint filed by an anti-corruption pressure group with reported ties to the political right. Critics of the case note that Spanish law allows private parties to bring criminal complaints, and the Sánchez camp argues the mechanism is being used against the prime minister's family for political ends.
Gómez has "consistently denied any wrongdoing," according to Al Jazeera. Sánchez, who leads the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) and a minority coalition government, has dismissed the allegations as "an attempt by the right wing to undermine his government." His party has described Gómez as innocent and the target of a years-long campaign of political persecution.
Under Spanish law, being placed under investigation — and even being sent toward trial — is a procedural stage, not a finding of guilt. Gómez retains the right to a full legal defense.
Political context
The case lands amid a series of separate legal matters touching figures close to the government, which the opposition has seized on to demand that Sánchez resign or call early elections. The prime minister has refused, insisting his administration will serve out its term.
Sánchez's coalition holds a narrow parliamentary majority and depends on support from several smaller regional and left-wing parties, leaving its stability sensitive to political shocks. For now, the case moves through the courts, with any decision on whether it proceeds to a full trial — and any eventual verdict — still to come.
