Overview
- The Ministerio Fiscal has issued a formal report supporting a partial pardon for Francisco Garzón while rejecting a full pardon and asking that his 2.5‑year sentence be substituted by a lesser penalty.
- Prosecutors cite humanitarian and reintegration grounds, noting Garzón is 65, suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, provides active care for his disabled mother, and has shown good conduct since the crash.
- The pardon request was promoted by the train drivers’ union Semaf and filed with the Ministerio de la Presidencia; the Fiscalía’s report was sent to Juzgado de lo Penal nº2, which must resolve the ruego as administrative processing continues.
- Garzón was convicted for the 2013 Angrois derailment and sentenced for multiple counts of homicide and injuries; the Audiencia Provincial de A Coruña upheld the conviction and appeals, including to the Constitutional Court, remain pending.
- If a partial indulto reduces his sentence enough, Garzón may avoid prison, a result that will deepen a split between victims who support leniency and families who oppose it and could shape wider debates on criminal accountability and reintegration after major accidents.