Spanish Supreme Court Lifts Precautionary Measures Against Víctor de Aldama

The Spanish Supreme Court has lifted the precautionary measures against businessman Víctor de Aldama, including the seizure of his passport and a ban on leaving the country, following his conviction in the 'caso mascarillas' for corruption involving former Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos Source: lavanguardia. The court ruled that with the sentence now final, the measures imposed during the investigation naturally cease to apply, even though the execution of the sentence for Ábalos and García is pending due to clarification requests Source: abces.

What happened

The Criminal Chamber, presided by Andrés Martínez Arrieta, issued a ruling on July 22, 2026, lifting the measures previously set by investigating magistrate Leopoldo Puente Source: elmundoes. Aldama had requested the removal to travel to Paraguay from July 21 to 24 for business negotiations on a horse-racing complex project, which includes an international racetrack, hotel, and social club Source: lavanguardia.

Cooperation and conditional freedom

Aldama was sentenced to 4 years and 6 months in prison for organized crime and bribery, but the court suspended the execution of his sentence due to his "highly qualified collaboration" with the investigation Source: elconfidencial. The cooperation was deemed "especially decisive" and "relevant" for uncovering the scope of the criminal organization, identifying other responsible parties, and providing key information on other alleged crimes Source: elmundoes. As a condition of the suspension, Aldama must not reoffend, submit semiannual activity reports, and perform one year of community service .