• A Spanish court has ordered PM Pedro Sanchez's wife, Begona Gomez, to stand trial for corruption.
• The court has banned Gomez from leaving the country and ordered her to surrender her passport.
• Gomez faces serious charges including embezzlement and influence peddling.

A Spanish court has formally charged Begona Gomez, the wife of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, with corruption and has prohibited her from leaving the country. According to the court order released on June 20, Judge Juan Carlos Peinado mandated Gomez to surrender her passport and to report to court twice a month until a verdict is reached. The ruling includes measures to ensure compliance at all border posts and airports in Spain, emphasizing the gravity of the situation, as no trial date has yet been set according to SCMP, Le Monde, India Times, and Al Jazeera.

The charges against Gomez include embezzlement, influence peddling, and misappropriation of funds, stemming from her alleged use of her position to gain private benefits. The investigation focuses on the management of a chair at Madrid's Complutense University, which Gomez co-directed. A complaint from a far-right anti-corruption group ignited the inquiry in April 2024, with allegations that Gomez may have exploited her status as the prime minister's spouse for financial gains SCMP, Le Monde, India Times, and Al Jazeera.

This legal battle arrives as Prime Minister Sanchez confronts rising political pressure, as allegations of corruption spread among his close associates and allies. He temporarily stepped back from his duties when the investigation launched in April 2024, and has routinely defended Gomez, attributing the accusations to a political campaign aimed at destabilizing his leadership. Furthermore, other investigations are ongoing involving members of his administration, highlighting systemic issues within his government SCMP, Le Monde, India Times, and Al Jazeera.