Spain: IFJ and EFJ stand in solidarity with elDiario.es over criminal defamation lawsuit

On 21 July, Spanish singer Julio Iglesias filed a criminal defamation lawsuit against the online media outlet elDiario.es, its director and four of its journalists. The lawsuit concerns elDiario.es reporting on allegations of sexual assault by Iglesias against two former employees. The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ-EFJ) and their affiliates in the Spanish State ーFAPE, FeSP, FSC-CCOO, FeSMC-UGT and ELAー stand in solidarity with elDiario.es and its media professionals, and reiterate that using criminal lawsuits to intimidate journalists and obstruct their reporting is an attack on journalism and the public's right to know.

Spanish singer Julio Iglesias performs at the new Auditorium Fibes in Seville in 2012. Credit: Cristina Quicler / AFP

On 13 January, a three-year investigation by Spanish online media outlet elDiario.es and Spanish-language TV network Univision Noticias published the testimonies of two former female employees of Julio Iglesias, who accused him of sexual assault and human trafficking.

Ten days later, Spanish prosecutors dropped the sexual assault complaint on the grounds that the country's courts had no jurisdiction as the alleged offences took place outside Spain ーin Iglesias' mansions in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas.

On 21 July, elDiario.es reported that Iglesias had filed a criminal defamation lawsuit against the online news outlet; its director, Ignacio Escolar; and four of its journalists ーMaría Ramírez, Juan Luis Sánchez, Ana Requena and Elena Cabreraー "for the alleged commission of offences of public defamation and slander, and an offence against moral integrity".

This followed a failed conciliation a month ago during which the media outlet refused to retract and delete its reporting from its website, as requested by Iglesias's legal team in the conciliation lawsuit filed on 2 March 2026.

FAPE, FeSP and FeSMC-UGT, which are affiliated with the IFJ and the EFJ, issued statements condemning the criminal lawsuit and expressing their solidarity with elDiario.es and its media professionals.

IFJ Gender Council Chair Maria Ángeles Samperio: "The persistence of sexual harassment against women underscores the vital role of journalism in reporting such cases, particularly when the alleged perpetrator is a public figure. For this reason, the IFJ Gender Council fully supports the journalists at elDiario.es for their investigation. We encourage journalists to continue giving a voice to women who experience sexual harassment while upholding the highest standards of responsible reporting through rigorous verification and accuracy."

The IFJ and the EFJ said: "It is deeply alarming that criminal defamation proceedings are being used against journalists for reporting on serious allegations of public interest. This abusive lawsuit clearly implies a power imbalance and seeks to intimidate not only the journalists of elDiario.es, but also to discourage others from investigating those in positions of power. Journalism must not be criminalised. We stand in solidarity with elDiario.es, its director and its journalists, who are facing criminal proceedings simply for informing the public."