Spanish top court rejects allegations of Podemos Iran link

Spain’s top court has dismissed as baseless allegations that the country’s leftist party Podemos received funding from Iran.

The Spanish online newspaper Público said in a report that the Supreme Court of Spain has rejected the alleged links between Podemos and Iran, saying the accusations are “unreal and baseless.”

The case was reviewed by a regional court in Spain after a news website published a report claiming that Pablo Iglesias, the leader of the Podemos, received more than five million euros from Iran’s Spanish-language television, Hispan TV.

The report said Iglesias received the money through issuing inflated invoices for his hosting of Fort Apache, a political talk show broadcast on the station. Iglesias said after the publication of the report that he would be delighted to speak to officials about the matter.

Spanish observers said the report by El Confidencial appears to have been timed to cause maximum damage on Iglesias and Podemos.

Podemos has become increasingly popular in Spain as it has repeatedly highlighted the corruption of leaders of two major Spanish political parties, namely the governing center-right Popular Party (PP), and the leftist PSOE.

The party finished third in the inconclusive votes by winning 69 seats of Spain’s 350-seat parliament last year, leaving its two rivals short of enough seats to build a majority in the chamber.

Iran’s Hispan TV also denied any direct or indirect funding links to Podemos, saying the Fort Apache program was on air with Iglesias long before Podemos was established.