Overview

• Appearing by videoconference in Barcelona, Paz Esteban cited a legal duty of reserve and provided no substantive testimony regarding alleged infections of the phones of Josep Maria Jové and Diana Riba.
• The government has declassified documents at the magistrate’s request, with the official response stating the intelligence service did not monitor the mobile communications of the two ERC figures.
• The investigating judge reactivated the case after the Audiencia de Barcelona ordered additional diligences, including pending testimony from CNI president Esperanza Casteleiro.
• Esteban remains under investigation in several related proceedings over alleged Pegasus surveillance of pro‑independence politicians as fragmented court cases continue to advance.
• A separate Barcelona court has admitted a complaint targeting former Guardia Civil directors, the CNI, and owners of Pegasus and Candiru, as reports count more than 65 suspected cases linked to Catalan independence circles.