Santiago Abascal warned that jurors in Begoña Gómez's trial could face pressure or intimidation and demanded guarantees from the PSOE. The Vox leader also raised the possibility that jurors could be photographed or targeted.
The case will put Gómez, the wife of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, before a popular jury, bringing a new political dispute into the court proceedings.
On September 21, 2026, Judge Juan Carlos Peinado sent Gómez to trial over alleged malversation and influence peddling. A jury, rather than professional judges alone, will decide the case, a point Vox has made basic to its criticism of the government camp. The selection requires 11 citizens, chosen through Spain’s Oficina del Jurado, but the process has not yet reached the stage of selecting jurors.
Abascal linked his warning to what he described as an alleged operation against Beatriz Biedma, the judge who investigated the case involving Sánchez's brother, David Sánchez. Vox says pressure was directed at Biedma and that it will file a complaint against Leire Díez and others allegedly involved in the operation.
These remain political allegations by Vox, not established findings.
Pepa Rodríguez de Millán widened the attack at a press conference in Congress. The Vox parliamentary spokesperson said the PSOE introduced the Law of the Jury. She argued that Sánchez and Gómez should not complain about judicial action if they had avoided the conduct under investigation.
Rodríguez de Millán also claimed that Gómez had used her position for certain business activities. She argued that the alleged conduct mattered more than the jury's composition.
The case has been under judicial examination since 2024. RTVE's legal sources say the trial itself may not begin until the end of 2027, so sending Gómez to trial does not mean hearings will start immediately.
That argument has turned the trial into a wider dispute over judicial scrutiny. Science Minister Diana Morant brought the PSOE's position into the exchange by questioning the impartiality of the proceedings. Vox rejected those concerns, saying responsibility lies with the people facing investigation.
The political dispute is also tied to the case involving David Sánchez, who was convicted of administrative prevarication over his hiring by the Provincial Council of Badajoz. Vox says Leire Díez allegedly orchestrated the hiring; the report describes her as the PSOE's so-called fixer.
Vox's decision to pursue legal action against Díez gives the dispute a separate judicial route and keeps the matter alive in parliament.
The chain of accusations has been covered in earlier reporting on claims of pressure connected with the investigation into Sánchez's brother. That episode has become part of the political debate around the Gómez trial, although the cases involve different proceedings.
Rodríguez de Millán also demanded explanations from former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero over jewellery found in his office and valued at more than one million euros. She called for proof of its origin and warned that the law would be applied if no explanation was provided.
The immediate issue is whether a popular jury can perform its legal role without pressure or intimidation. Abascal has raised that concern as a political accusation against the PSOE; the report cites no established finding that jurors have been threatened.
The trial and allegations against Gómez should be kept distinct from the separate claims involving Biedma. Treating political assertions as proven facts would weaken the judicial safeguards Vox says it wants protected.
Reports from RTVE and other Spanish media say the proceedings will take place through the Audiencia Provincial de Madrid and the Tribunal del Jurado. Gómez is expected to face trial on the two principal charges that remained after the case materials were reviewed. Her aide Cristina Álvarez is also included in relation to the alleged malversation episode.
