A Spanish court in Badajoz has banned David Sánchez, the younger brother of Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, from holding public office for nine years after convicting him of administrative misconduct.

The ruling, which was delivered on Tuesday, represents a fresh political setback for the prime minister, whose inner circle and administration have been facing a wave of corruption investigations and political scandals.

The case against David Sánchez, a classical composer and orchestra conductor, centered on his 2017 appointment as a music coordinator for the provincial government of Badajoz in the southwestern region of Extremadura.

The appointment occurred when his brother, Pedro Sánchez, was the national leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party but had not yet become the prime minister. Right-wing pressure groups, including the self-styled trade union Manos Limpias, initiated the complaint, alleging that the job was a bespoke position specifically tailored to benefit David Sánchez due to his family connections.

During the trial, which began in May, the prosecution and defense contested the legitimacy of the role. In its final ruling, the Badajoz court concluded that the creation of the music coordinator post was neither necessary nor urgent.

The judges determined that the position was established and later modified to accommodate David Sánchez’s personal interest in opera rather than serving the public interest, describing the hiring process as an arbitrary exercise of power designed to favor specific individuals.

Consequently, the court found David Sánchez guilty as a necessary accomplice in the unlawful creation of the position, handing him a nine-year disqualification from holding public office and exercising voting rights.

Despite the conviction for misconduct, David Sánchez was cleared of the more serious charge of influence peddling, which could have resulted in a three-year prison sentence. The court ruled that there was no concrete proof that anyone had exerted pressure or leveraged their political or personal hierarchy to secure the job for him.

Along with the prime minister’s brother, nine other co-defendants were found guilty of administrative misconduct and received nine-year bans, while Miguel Ángel Gallardo, the former socialist leader in Extremadura, was handed an eighteen-year ban from public office on two counts of misconduct.

The verdict has triggered intense political reactions across Spain. Leaders of the conservative opposition, including the People’s Party spokesperson Ester Muñoz and party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo, argued that the conviction proves no one is above the law and renewed their calls for the prime minister’s resignation.

Santiago Abascal, the leader of the far-right Vox party, similarly criticized the ruling party following the announcement.

In response, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and his administration have consistently maintained that the allegations are entirely baseless and part of a politically motivated smear campaign orchestrated by his right-wing opponents.

The prime minister has previously defended his family’s innocence and openly questioned the impartiality of certain members of the judiciary. Following the court’s decision, government spokesperson Elma Saiz stated that the administration retains full confidence in the justice system and believes that David Sánchez’s innocence will ultimately be established upon appeal in the higher courts.