Victims of Valencia flood push to strip former president Carlos Mazón's parliamentary immunity

A group of victims of the October 29, 2023 flood in the Valencia region have filed a petition with Spain's Constitutional Court seeking to remove the parliamentary immunity (aforamiento) granted to former Generalitat Valenciana president Carlos Mazón. The association representing the victims argues that the immunity, retained after Mazón resigned as president but kept his seat as a regional deputy, lacks a functional link to the alleged crimes of homicide and serious negligence that occurred while he was head of the executive, violating the right to effective judicial protection. They also request the court to order the custody of Mazón’s WhatsApp messages to prevent their deletion.

The court’s investigation has uncovered a group chat used by members of the Valencian government on the day of the flood, revealing internal communications about trapped passengers, flooded vehicle‑inspection offices, isolated hospitals, and other emergency incidents. Judges have asked the Consellería to provide these messages as evidence. The victims cite European Court of Human Rights doctrine, calling the situation “a judicial paradox” and asserting that the immunity is “feudal and detrimental.”

If the Constitutional Court agrees, the case would be returned to the ordinary flood court in Catarroja, allowing the magistrate to question Mazón as a suspect without the shield of regional parliamentary privilege.