Overview
- The Criminal Chamber inadmitted and archived the complaint Ayuso filed after Ione Belarra said in March that the Madrid leader should be in jail for a “homicidal” pandemic response.
- The ruling by reporting judge Pablo Llarena classifies the remarks as political criticism protected by freedom of expression and parliamentary inviolability.
- While noting the gravity of the accusation, the court pointed to a “reckless disregard for the truth” given its 2020 finding of no criminal indicia in officials’ COVID management, including Ayuso.
- The outcome does not affect separate proceedings triggered by similar statements, including an admitted complaint against Reyes Maroto, who testified this month in Madrid.
- The dispute is rooted in contested care‑home death figures in Madrid and debate reignited by an RTVE documentary that the regional government has challenged.