Spain's Audiencia Nacional resumed the trial regarding the "Kitchen" case, an alleged police-run espionage operation, on May 28, 2026 [1].
The proceedings aim to determine if state security forces were illegally used to target political figures. The case centers on efforts to obtain compromising material from Luis Bárcenas, the former treasurer of the Popular Party (PP), during the wider Gürtel corruption investigations [1], [3].
Testimonies during the session included former minister Jorge Fernández Díaz and former Secretary of State of Security Francisco Martínez [1]. Fernández Díaz said that while no direct order to spy on Bárcenas has been proven, there are indications of irregular actions [1]. Martínez said the case shows the limits of police action when security is politicized [1].
Former PP secretary-general María Dolores de Cospedal also provided testimony [2]. She said she contacted José Manuel Villarejo because she wanted to know if the PP was being spied on from within [2].
The operation in question allegedly took place in 2013 [3]. The trial also examines financial irregularities associated with the surveillance; one report noted a police couple involved in the case earned a monthly salary of 25,000 euros [2].
Other witnesses involved in the trial include former interior police director Eugenio Pino and former commissioner José Manuel [1], [2], [3]. The court is investigating whether the surveillance was an unlawful attempt to protect the PP by neutralizing Bárcenas's evidence [1], [3].
“«No se ha demostrado que exista una orden directa para espiar a Bárcenas, pero sí hay indicios de una actuación irregular»”
The 'Kitchen' trial represents a significant legal effort to uncover the intersection of state intelligence and partisan politics in Spain. By examining the use of police resources to target a former party official, the court is addressing the systemic risk of 'deep state' operations being leveraged for political survival rather than national security.
