Judge rejects Zapatero's request to block jewelry appraisal

Judge José Luis Calama of the Audiencia Nacional has rejected a recusal request made by former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero regarding the appointment of Joyería Yanes to appraise a collection of seized jewelry.

Zapatero’s defense argued that the jewelry firm could not remain impartial because its director, Juan Yanes, had previously suggested on television that the collection could be worth “a couple of million” euros. The defense claimed that any experts appointed by the firm would struggle to remain detached from these public statements.

However, Judge Calama ruled the request “premature,” stating that a recusal requires a specific legal cause regarding the individual expert rather than the institution itself. He noted that the specific professionals who will conduct the appraisal have not yet been named and that procedural guarantees exist to neutralize any perceived risk of bias.

The appraisal is part of the ‘Plus Ultra case,’ which includes an investigation into Zapatero for alleged tax and smuggling offenses related to jewelry found in his office. Additionally, the magistrate is investigating Zapatero for his alleged role in an influence-peddling network concerning a 53 million euro government rescue of the airline Plus Ultra.