Politics · Spain · 18 hrs ago
Judge rejects corruption charge over jewels found in Zapatero's office
A judge in Spain's National Court rejected a prosecutor's request to charge former prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero with misusing public funds over valuable jewels found in his office.
Zapatero says the jewels, worth more than one million euros, were a gift from Saudi King Abdullah in 2007.
The judge said no law then required senior officials to hand such gifts to the state, but has questioned Zapatero's account of the jewels' origin.
The prosecutor's office disagrees and is considering appealing; it says it may still include the charge in its case for trial.
Spain's tax agency had also asked Zapatero to say whether he owned the jewels and, if so, when and for how much he acquired them.
The judge has paused tax inspections of Zapatero, his wife, their daughters and businessman Julio Martínez while the Plus Ultra criminal case proceeds.
The case is still under investigation, and the tax agency's questions about the jewels and other financial matters remain unresolved.
Spanish judge José Luis Calama rejected prosecutors’ request to charge former prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero with embezzlement over jewels found in his office.
Calama said no law in force when the jewels were allegedly received required senior officials to transfer such gifts to state property.
The jewels, valued at more than €1 million, were found in a safe at Zapatero’s office on Madrid’s Ferraz Street.
Zapatero has said they were a 2007 gift from Saudi King Abdullah.
Prosecutors disagree with the judge’s reasoning and are considering whether to appeal.
- Who
- Judge José Luis Calama rejected the request by Spain’s Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office to charge former prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero.
- What
- The judge rejected an embezzlement charge over jewels found in Zapatero’s office.
- When
- The judge issued the decision on the Friday before the articles were published on 8 November 2026.
- Where
- The jewels were found in a safe at Zapatero’s office on Ferraz Street in Madrid. The case is being investigated by the National Court.
- Why
- Calama said no law in force when the jewels were allegedly received required gifts to be transferred to state property.
Judge José Luis Calama
Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office
Legal requirement
Judge José Luis Calama
Calama said the law did not require gifts received by senior officials to become state property when the jewels were allegedly given.
Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office
Prosecutors say a specific law was not needed to require Zapatero to deposit the jewels with National Heritage.
Charging decision
Judge José Luis Calama
Calama rejected the request to charge Zapatero with embezzlement over the jewels.
Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office
Prosecutors deeply disagree with the decision and are considering an appeal.
Zapatero says the jewels were a gift from Saudi King Abdullah.
Zapatero gave National Heritage another gift from the same monarch, a gold mantel clock with emeralds.
Police found the jewels in a safe at Zapatero’s office on Ferraz Street.
Zapatero and his family received notice that tax inspections had begun.
Calama rejected prosecutors’ request to charge Zapatero with embezzlement over the jewels.
- Jewels’ value
- More than €1 million
- Location found
- Safe in Zapatero’s office on Ferraz Street, Madrid
- Alleged giver
- Saudi King Abdullah
- Alleged gift year
- 2007
- Judge
- José Luis Calama
2 sources
What people are saying
una construcción interpretativa elaborada ex post, ya que al tiempo de los hechos ninguna disposición legal imponía que los regalos recibidos por altos cargos quedasen automáticamente incorporados al patrimonio de la Administración
toda la documentación que pueda tener implicaciones en dicho proceso penal no será objeto de aportación en este procedimiento tributario hasta la finalización de la causa judicial