The defense of Juan Carlos I argues that he cannot be tried by an English court

Defense of Juan Carlos I argued this Monday before the High Court of London that the English courts do not have jurisdiction over the lawsuit for alleged harassment filed by Corinna Larsen (ex zu Sayn-Wittgenstein) against the emeritus king of Spain. The court number 13 of the Queen’s Bench Division of the Superior Court has begun to examine this Monday the case presented by Corinna, former lover of Juan Carlos I, against the former Spanish head of state for having been the victim of alleged harassment since 2012.

The magistrate Matthew Nicklin is in charge of the two judicial hearings – this Monday and Tuesday – scheduled in the English court, in which it must be decided whether Juan Carlos I enjoys immunity, which will determine whether or not the claim can be examined by English Justice.

Continued harassment since 2012

Corinna accuses Juan Carlos I of having subjected her to “harassment” from 2012 to the present, personally or through “agents” at her service. Those actions “threatened” her safety and that of her children, the plaintiff says.

According to defense argument, to which Efe had access, the emeritus has immunity under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 and the British Law on Immunity, which refers to the immunity of foreigners.

The argument, signed by lawyer Daniel Bethlehem and Professor Philippa Webb, both experts in international relations, says that the emeritus is entitled to immunity from the English courts and that therefore the court has no jurisdiction in this case. . Corinna’s lawyers are scheduled to present their arguments on the lawsuit this Tuesday.

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In addition to alleged harassment, the lawsuit addresses a payment of 65 million euros ($ 76 million) that the emeritus allegedly made to Corinna, allegedly part of money that the late King of Saudi Arabia had sent to a bank account in Switzerland linked to a tax-advantaged foundation based in Panama, and whose beneficiary was Juan Carlos I.

Last January, Corinna testified, via videoconference from an English court, in a trial held in Madrid against former Spanish commissioner José Villarejo. In his speech, he assured that he received repeated threats from the former head of the National Intelligence Center (CNI) Felix Sanz Roldan. “Of course it terrified me, they would terrorize anyone. The fact that the head of security came to visit me in London was already creepy enough,” he said.