Former Spanish Interior Minister Jorge Fernández Díaz faces up to 15 years in prison and 33 years barred from office, following a request from the public prosecutor’s office. A senior member of the People’s Party (PP), Fernández Díaz served as Spain’s interior minister from 2011 to 2016 and is accused of orchestrating a smear campaign against Catalan pro-independence figures. 

Corruption and the ‘Kitchen’ Case

Fernández Díaz is at the center of the ‘Kitchen court case,’ where Spanish national police officers allegedly spied on Luis Bárcenas, the former PP treasurer, to steal documents linked to the Caso Gürtel corruption scandal. The public prosecutor has charged him with:

• Covering up crimes
• Misuse of public funds
• Crimes against privacy

Other key figures facing prison sentences ranging from 2.5 to 19 years include former State Security Secretary Francisco Martínez and ex-police officials Eugenio Pino, Marcelino Martín Blas, José Manuel Villarejo, Enrique García Castaño, and Andrés Manuel Gómez Gordo. 

‘Operation Catalonia’: Political Espionage Exposed

In 2016, the Catalan newspaper El Periódico revealed a 500-page police report exposing ‘Operation Catalonia’—an illegal scheme designed to discredit pro-independence leaders. This politically motivated operation, launched in 2012, sought to manipulate public opinion against the Catalan independence movement.

As Fernández Díaz faces legal action, this case underscores Spain’s deep-rooted political corruption and raises concerns about government-backed espionage.