The director of EDAtv, Javier Negre, was due to testify this Tuesday in Court of Instruction number 18 of Seville for his involvement in the dissemination of accusations against Rubén Sánchez through his media outlet, EDAtv. However, he did not appear for the trial, leaving the judge to decide the possible legal consequences of his absence.
The case dates back to October 2022, when far-right agitator Vito Quiles spewed hatred on social media and EDAtv with several accusations against Sánchez, including that he allegedly committed extortion, fraud, and even death threats, as well as insinuations about supposed connections with schemes involving minors under guardianship, all without providing evidence.
Quiles already appeared before the judge in Seville on February 25, 2025 as a suspect, after previously invoking his right to remain silent at an initial hearing. During that statement, Sánchez's defense pointed out that Quiles "has not explained or clarified" the basis for his serious accusations, such as who the alleged hitmen would be or the victims of the extortion he attributed to Sánchez. He still has not provided any evidence in the case. A move that has repercussions in both the Seville courts and in a parallel trial. The judge had summoned Negre to explain whether his outlet has civil liability for the dissemination of this content.
Negre's non-appearance occurs in a context where the journalist has already been convicted on several occasions for disseminating false information about Rubén Sánchez and for refusing to retract it. In 2021, a court in Madrid ordered him to publish retractions about hoaxes spread from Estado de Alarma TV on his website and social media channels, after Sánchez filed lawsuits for violating his right to honor. Although in some cases Negre attempted to comply with the retractions in an unclear manner, the courts have ultimately upheld these sentences and demanded the full dissemination of the text ordered by the justice system.
Negre's absence from the summons now leaves the judge with the decision on what legal measures to adopt, which can range from declaring him in default (allowing the proceedings to continue without his testimony), to imposing procedural fines for not appearing, or even ordering compulsory summons through judicial officers to force his appearance. The magistrate will have to assess these steps in light of the case's background and whether there is any legitimate justification for his failure to appear in court.