A Spanish court sentenced David Sánchez Pérez‑Castejón, the brother of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, to nine years of disqualification from public employment on Tuesday [1].

The ruling marks a significant legal blow to the family of the head of government, as it is the first corruption-related conviction of a sitting Spanish president's brother [3].

The Audiencia Provincial de Badajoz issued the 377-page sentence [2]. The court said that the Diputación de Badajoz created a specific job position tailored for Pérez‑Castejón because of his relationship with the socialist leader [1], [3]. This action was ruled as administrative prevarication, a crime involving a public official issuing an unjust resolution to benefit another.

While the court convicted Pérez‑Castejón of prevarication, it said there was not sufficient evidence to support the more serious charge of influence peddling [1], [3]. Because of this distinction, the court did not impose any prison sentence [1].

The case centered on the legality of the hiring process within the provincial government. The judges said that the appointment was not based on merit or standard administrative procedures but was instead a result of the defendant's familial ties to the president [1].

Legal representatives for the defense and the prosecution have analyzed the extensive ruling, which details the administrative irregularities leading to the appointment. The court said that the integrity of public employment must be protected from nepotism [1].

“The court found that the Diputación de Badajoz created a specific job position tailored for Pérez‑Castejón”

This conviction highlights the ongoing scrutiny of nepotism within Spanish regional administrations. By convicting the president's brother of prevarication while dismissing the charge of influence peddling, the court established a specific legal boundary: it penalized the administrative irregularity of the job creation without legally linking the Prime Minister himself to the act of exerting pressure.