The Prosecutor's Office of the National Court has requested up to 27 years in prison for Mehrez Ayari, identified as the alleged material perpetrator of the attack against Alejo Vidal-Quadras, the former leader of the Popular Party (PP) and co-founder of Vox who was shot in the face in Madrid in November 2023. The Public Prosecutor's Office maintains that the attack was part of a covert operation linked to the Iranian regime and is seeking sentences of between 10 and 27 years for seven defendants for their alleged participation in the events.
Vidal-Quadras is a historical figure of the Spanish right. A physicist by training, he presided over the PP of Catalonia between 1991 and 1996 and was a Member of the European Parliament for 15 years. Between 2009 and 2014, he held one of the vice-presidencies of the European Parliament. His career took a turn in 2014, when he left the PP due to disagreements with the national leadership and participated in the founding of Vox along with other leaders. He was its provisional president during the first months, although he left the party in 2015 after the formation failed to gain representation in the European elections.
In addition to his political activity, Vidal-Quadras maintained a very critical stance towards the Iranian regime and for years defended opposition groups to the Tehran government. In 2022, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs included him in a list of sanctioned individuals, whom it accused of supporting terrorism. This trajectory is one of the elements that investigators have taken into account to clarify the possible motive for the attack.
What happened to Alejo Vidal-Quadras in the Madrid attack?
On November 9, 2023, Vidal-Quadras was shot in the face while walking on Núñez de Balboa street, in the Salamanca neighborhood of Madrid. The attack occurred in broad daylight, around 1:30 p.m., when a man approached the politician and shot him before fleeing on a motorcycle with the help of another person. The projectile hit him in the jaw area and caused serious injuries. Vidal-Quadras was taken to the hospital, where he received medical attention and underwent surgery. He survived the attack and, from the first moment, linked what happened to his activity in favor of the Iranian opposition, although the judicial investigation had to determine who was behind the attack and what their role had been.
The investigation led the Audiencia Nacional to prosecute eight suspects in July 2025 for their alleged participation in a criminal organization and in the attempted murder. According to the investigating judge, the group would have carried out surveillance, obtained vehicles and telephones, and prepared the necessary means to execute the attack and facilitate the escape.
The investigations also indicated that the attack could have been a commissioned job related to Vidal-Quadras's political activity against the Iranian regime. In September 2025, the Audiencia Nacional confirmed the prosecution of several involved, considering that there was sufficient evidence to continue the procedure.
Why does the Prosecutor's Office point to Iran and how many years in prison does it request?
In its indictment, presented on October 23, 2026, the Prosecutor's Office maintains that the attack was related to a covert operation by Iran against a prominent figure of the opposition to the regime. The Public Prosecutor's Office considers that the attack sought to punish Vidal-Quadras's political activity and send a message to those who support movements contrary to the Iranian Government.
For Mehrez Ayari, identified as the alleged material author of the shot, the Prosecutor's Office requests 27 years in prison: 22 years for attempted murder and another five for belonging to a criminal organization. For the other six defendants it accuses in this procedure, it requests sentences of between 10 and 18 years in prison, depending on their alleged participation in the preparation and execution of the attack. The document also mentions the existence of an alleged coordinator of the operation who remains a fugitive from justice. This is Sami Bekal Bounouare, known as 'Pacho', to whom the investigation attributes a relevant role in the organization of the attack. Authorities place the suspect beyond the reach of justice and investigations suggest he could be in Iran.
The Prosecutor's Office's accusation reinforces the hypothesis that Vidal-Quadras has defended from the beginning, but it will still have to be examined in court. The requested sentences do not equate to a conviction and the accused maintain the presumption of innocence until there is a firm sentence. The judicial procedure will have to determine the individual responsibility of each defendant and clarify the scope of the possible Iranian connection with the attack. For now, the Prosecutor's Office considers that there are elements to support that the attack was an operation organized and directed against the former political leader for his opposition to the Tehran regime.
