Spain - September 2025

On 9 September, a Supreme Court judge announced that Attorney General Álvaro García Ortiz will stand trial for allegedly leaking confidential information to the press, what would constitute a breach of official secrecy under Spanish law. This marks the first time in modern Spanish democracy that an Attorney General will face criminal prosecution. The case revolves around the leak of an email sent by the lawyer of businessman Alberto González Amador (partner of Isabel Díaz Ayuso, President of the Community of Madrid and a member of the opposition People’s Party (PP)), to the prosecutor handling his tax fraud case. The email, containing details of a reportedly proposed settlement, was allegedly disclosed to the media by the Attorney General’s office. García Ortiz, who was appointed by the current government, has denied leaking any confidential information and continues to serve in office, with the judge having set bail at EUR 150,000. The outcome of the case remains pending, with the trial scheduled for the first half of November. 

Update: On 20 November, the Supreme Court convicted Attorney General García Ortiz, sentencing him to two years’ disqualification from public office, a EUR 7,200 fine, and EUR 10,000 in damages. By a 5-2 vote, the Court cited ‘strong circumstantial evidence’ that he or ‘someone in his circle’ disclosed the email, while the two dissenting judges argued proof was insufficient. The fast-tracked case has sparked controversy, with the Unión Progresista de Fiscales (UPF), a professional association of public prosecutors, seeking the scrutiny of UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers over potential irregularities. García Ortiz, who resigned, is expected to pursue an extraordinary challenge or appeal to the Constitutional Court, having stated that he needs to ‘study the sentence and prepare the brief well’.

Sources: Radio Televisión Española, El País (1), El País (2), Judiciary of Spain, Associated Press, Eldiario.es, Cadena SER, El País (3), El País (4), La Sexta, Radio Televisión Española (2)