This document describes the statements made by Fatma Magdalena Rodriguez, the lawyer representing the footballer Santi Mina. Rodriguez asserted that Mina was convicted of sexual abuse and emphasized that her client does not evade justice and is not afraid to face the proceedings. She stated that Mina should appear in person in Riyadh to participate in the upcoming decision on whether he should be jailed, a stance she described as aligned with the request from the special prosecutor’s office.
She reassured the media that Mina would remain in place in Riyadh as expected, and she denied rumors that he had signed with Al Shabab in Saudi Arabia to escape legal accountability.
According to the lawyer, Mina is a well-known public figure and is therefore constantly under scrutiny. Rodriguez stressed that Mina’s public profile does not diminish his right to due process and that there is no reason to treat him differently because of his notoriety, asserting that the case should proceed according to legal norms.
Rodriguez argued that there has not been any injunction against Mina for five years, and she questioned why one should be issued at this moment. She insisted that Mina should indeed be released today, should the court so decide, highlighting that the defense seeks a fair and timely resolution through the proper channels.
On the matter of clarifying the sentence, Rodriguez explained that there were provisions that required clarification but nothing further, and that the defense awaited the trial’s appeal process to resolve these points.
The lawyer for the victim, Iván Bolaño, complained that no action had occurred since the sentence was announced in April, indicating dissatisfaction with the pace of the proceedings and the perceived lack of progress in addressing the case.
The situation remains tense because Mina could travel to Saudi Arabia, a country with which Spain does not have an extradition treaty. Bolaño noted that returning to Spain is ultimately Mina’s choice, and suggested that prison time might not be physically possible under the current terms, depending on how the case evolves.
Regarding the decision to authorize Mina to appear via videoconference this Friday, Rodriguez said she did not agree with the arrangement, though she acknowledged that the legal framework had foreseen such a possibility. She remarked that the absence of Mina’s physical return to Spain to decide on prison would reflect the court’s broader intentions in this particular case and should prompt close scrutiny from the public and the press.
When asked about the defense’s request to clarify the sentence, the lawyer stated that she directly opposed it, perceiving it as a delaying tactic rather than a substantive measure, and she reiterated the need for a clear, timely resolution consistent with due process and justice.