A civil court in Madrid admitted on 30 October 2026 the lawsuit brought by former judge of the Audiencia Nacional, Manuel García‑Castellón, against the spokesperson for Podemos, Pablo Fernández, for further consideration. According to the decision of the Juzgado de Primera Instancia número 7 de Madrid the civil action for infringement of personality rights was formally “admitida a trámite”. García-Castellón is seeking compensation of 100,000 euros and protection of his right to honour, privacy and his own image; he expressly invokes the fundamental right to honour, known in Spanish law as derecho al honor .
The claim challenges public statements in which Fernández allegedly called the claimant “corrupt” and a “prevaricador”. The Spanish term “prevaricación” broadly corresponds to the offence of judicial misconduct. According to the claimant, these descriptions damaged his reputation and portrayed him as a corrupt or politically controlled magistrate. The court set a deadline for the defendant to respond; Pablo Fernández therefore has 20 working days to reply to the lawsuit.
The case is the latest in a series of disputes over public assessments of García-Castellón’s work. In June 2026, Podemos politician Ione Belarra was sentenced in a separate case to pay García-Castellón 9,000 euros after a court ruled that calling him “corrupt” was defamatory. This earlier ruling is a separate precedent in the area of protection of honour against political statements, but it does not automatically bind the court in the current proceedings.
For the next stage of the case in Madrid, the key legal question will be whether the disputed wording is political opinion protected by freedom of expression or an unlawful infringement of honour. Relevant considerations include the spokesperson's role, the truth of any factual claims, the context in which they were made and the balance between freedom of expression and protection of personal honour. No hearing dates have yet been announced. At the time of publication, no statements had been received from the defendant or other parties to the proceedings.
The lawsuit is directed solely against Pablo Fernández in his capacity as Podemos spokesperson. The case is being heard in Madrid; the court has jurisdiction over civil matters, including honour-protection claims. García-Castellón was a judge at the Audiencia Nacional until he left the post and is widely known as an investigating judge in politically sensitive cases.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).