Former Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos called his Supreme Court trial political and predetermined in a recording sent from prison on Thursday [1].
The statement challenges the legitimacy of the judicial process in the "caso mascarillas" and signals a legal battle to overturn a massive prison sentence.
Ábalos recorded the 12-minute audio [2] from the Soto del Real prison in the Community of Madrid [1]. In the recording, he said that the trial was a political maneuver and that the verdict had been decided before the proceedings concluded [1]. He announced that he will request the nullity of the sentence based on these claims [1].
The former minister was sentenced to 24 years of imprisonment [1]. Regarding the severity of the ruling, Ábalos said, "No esperaba penas tan abultadas" [3].
Ábalos also criticized the trial's logistics and the participation of other figures. He said, "Con que hubiera asistido el señor Aldama, tranquilamente desde su casa, aseado, nos hubiéramos ahorrado una tortura física y también psicológica" [1].
He maintained that the proceedings violated his rights. He said, "Estaba predeterminado" [1]. The recording was released on June 25, 2026, as the former minister continues to fight the conviction from behind bars [3].
“"Estaba predeterminado"”
The attempt by Ábalos to nullify his 24-year sentence by alleging political bias suggests a strategy to move the conflict from a criminal framework to a human rights or procedural one. If the request for nullity is granted, it could create a significant legal precedent regarding the impartiality of the Supreme Court in high-profile political corruption cases in Spain.
