The Audiencia Nacional has decided to exclude the former Catalan president Jordi Pujol from the trial for alleged corruption after confirming that he is not in a condition to defend himself. The decision has been adopted after an in-person medical examination at the judicial headquarters, in which two forensic doctors have confirmed a severe cognitive deterioration that prevents him from adequately responding to the questions of the court.
The magistrate José Ricardo de Prada has communicated at the beginning of the session that Pujol cannot be judged, as he cannot exercise his fundamental right to defense. This resolution means that the former president is out of the procedure in which the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office requested for him up to nine years in prison for alleged crimes of illicit association and money laundering.
The judicial process, initiated on November 24, 2025, had already called into question Pujol's ability to participate, after previous medical reports pointed to a neurocognitive disorder compatible with Alzheimer's. Initially, he was allowed to follow the trial from his home in Barcelona, but the court finally opted for an in-person evaluation to make a definitive decision.
With the departure of Jordi Pujol, the trial continues with the rest of the accused, among them his eldest son, Jordi Pujol Ferrusola, for whom the Prosecutor's Office requests a sentence of up to 29 years in prison. The investigation focuses on an alleged family scheme of illicit enrichment for decades, linked to the collection of commissions in exchange for public contracts.
