Pardon requests for Santiago train derailment driver

Legal proceedings regarding a pardon for Francisco Javier Garzón, the driver involved in the 2013 Santiago de Compostela train derailment that caused 80 deaths, have progressed through the Spanish judicial system.

Initially, Judge Elena Fernández Currás of the Santiago de Compostela Court recommended a total pardon for Garzón. The judge cited ‘reasons of justice and equity,’ noting his lack of a criminal record, his retirement, and the fact that civil liability had been largely settled. The judge argued the likelihood of recidivism was ‘practically null.’

Subsequently, the Chief Prosecutor of the Santiago area, Antonio Roma, expressed support for only a partial pardon rather than a full one. While the prosecution acknowledged humanitarian factors—including Garzón’s age, status as a retiree, health issues, and caregiving responsibilities—it argued a full pardon would be ‘inadmissible’ due to the ‘objective gravity of the facts’ and the ‘plurality of victims.’ The prosecution stated that granting a full pardon would constitute ‘a situation of impunity.’