A Spanish court on Saturday ordered a travel ban and passport surrender for Begoña Gómez, the wife of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, as part of a corruption investigation. Judge Juan Carlos Peinado also ordered her to appear in court twice a month until a judgment is issued.
Gómez faces allegations including embezzlement, influence peddling, corruption in business deals, and improper use of public funds. The inquiry centers on her work running a chair at Complutense University in Madrid, with investigators suspecting she used her position and personal connections to advance private business interests and secure contracts. Gómez denies all of the accusations.
Sánchez rejected the claims as well, saying they are an attempt by right-wing groups and anti-corruption activists aligned with the far right to destabilize his government. His party said Gómez is innocent and described her as the target of a long political persecution campaign.
The case comes as Sánchez remains one of Europe’s harshest critics of Israel. He has called Israel a “genocidal state” and accused it of “destroying a defenseless people,” while pushing a full arms embargo, canceling existing weapons contracts, and banning goods from Judea and Samaria. He also helped spearhead the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state with Ireland and Norway, and recalled Spain’s ambassador from Tel Aviv, steps that sparked a severe diplomatic crisis and sharp criticism from Jerusalem.
