Leire Díez denies having protected the PSOE and denounces a "smear campaign" with "cut" audios

Leire Díez has brought before the Provincial Court of Madrid her complaint regarding the alleged illegitimate recordings that gave rise to the first judicial case opened against her. The former socialist militant denies that her meetings sought to destabilize procedures affecting the PSOE and maintains that her actions were part of a journalistic investigation.

The appeal filed by her lawyer, Eva Bejarano, challenges Judge Arturo Zamarriego's decision to reject several proceedings requested by the defense. Díez demands an investigation into whether members of the Civil Guard consulted her data or followed her meetings before she was charged.

The defense admits that Díez met with businessmen and members of the State Security Forces and Corps, although it offers an explanation far from the thesis handled by the investigators. Those contacts were aimed at "obtaining information within an investigation she was carrying out as a journalist on various judicial cases", according to the document.

Díez rejects that she intended to "destabilize any type of judicial case that affected the interests of the PSOE" and rules out any "spurious purpose". The Central Operative Unit of the Civil Guard and the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office are investigating, on the contrary, whether her actions were aimed at obtaining compromising information against civil guards, judges, and prosecutors related to sensitive procedures for the party and the Government.

A "smear campaign" with manipulated recordings

The defense maintains that Leire Díez was "the object of illegitimate recordings" during private conversations held in a law firm. These audios would have subsequently been "modified", "cut", and disseminated in different media to promote a "smear campaign" that ultimately led to the judicial procedure.

Among the recordings is a telematics meeting held in February 2025 with Alejandro Hamlyn, a businessman investigated in the Audiencia Nacional for alleged hydrocarbon fraud and a fugitive from justice in Dubai. In that conversation, Díez is heard requesting compromising information about UCO Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Balas and discussing possible favors for the businessman.

The former militant identifies Pedro Gil as the alleged person responsible for the leak of that audio and again asks him to testify as a witness. She also demands that the Civil Guard clarify whether he maintains or maintained any relationship with the force and what activity he may have performed.

The defense also wants the Civil Guard's Data Protection Delegate to provide a record of searches made with Leire Díez's name in the reserved databases of the Armed Institute. The request includes the dates, IP addresses, and the identity of the people who accessed that information.

It also requests any reports, minutes, or internal communications that may exist regarding the meetings held on March 10 and 16, 2025, between Díez and Rubén Villalba. The commander remains under investigation in the 'Koldo case' for allegedly providing secure phones to the plot formed around Víctor de Aldama, Koldo García, and former minister José Luis Ábalos.

Two open and still separate cases

Judge Arturo Zamarriego is investigating Leire Díez for alleged crimes of bribery and influence peddling along with businessman Javier Pérez Dolset and journalist Pere Rusiñol. The proceedings examine possible maneuvers against UCO commanders, judges, and prosecutors, as well as the considerations that may have been offered in exchange for information.

This procedure remains separate from the case being investigated by Santiago Pedraz in the Audiencia Nacional. There, an alleged structure dedicated to interfering in judicial procedures affecting the PSOE and the Government is being investigated, supposedly led by former socialist Organization Secretary Santos Cerdán and coordinated by Díez.

Pedraz has requested the accumulation of both investigations so that all facts fall under the direction of the Audiencia Nacional, although the unification has not yet been agreed upon. Both procedures remain in the investigation phase and the accusations made against Díez must still be judicially proven.

The Provincial Court of Madrid must now decide whether to confirm Zamarriego's criterion or allow the defense's requested proceedings to be carried out. Until that resolution arrives, the two cases will continue to advance separately and the Civil Guard records requested by Leire Díez will remain outside the procedure.