Spain: Judge denies Colonel Baena status as victim in political espionage case

Judge Santiago Pedraz of the Audiencia Nacional has ruled that Civil Guard Colonel Daniel Baena cannot act as an accuser in the investigation known as the ‘cloacas del PSOE’ case. The decision, supported by the Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office, concludes that there is no concrete evidence that Baena was directly harmed by the alleged plot intended to destabilize judicial proceedings inconvenient to the government.

Baena, who led investigations into alleged links between Carles Puigdemont and the Kremlin, argued he was a victim after being removed from his position as head of the Judicial Police in Barcelona. However, the court found no direct link between his previous investigations and the professional changes he experienced. The ruling follows allegations regarding a network used to target political adversaries and independentist figures.