A PP deputy from Asturias convicted of moral damages
Esther Llamazares, municipal spokesperson for the PP of Avilés and deputy in Congress for Asturias, has been sentenced to pay compensation of six thousand euros for moral damages to the manager of the Tourism Association of the Avilés Region. The ruling was issued by the city’s Court of First Instance and Instruction number three, which fully upheld the claim filed by the worker against Llamazares.
The content of a press release triggers the lawsuit
The lawsuit was based on the content of a press release sent by Llamazares on June 8, 2022. In said release, statements were made that were considered an ‘illegitimate interference in the plaintiff’s honor’. Among the statements was the aforementioned issue regarding the plaintiff’s professional training and its compatibility with the job he held as a manager, supported by a ruling from the Court of Justice of Asturias.
The accusation of ‘cronyism’ and the testimony of a party colleague
In addition to the issue of vocational training, the lawsuit also relied on Llamazares’ claim that the position as manager had been given to him because of ‘cronyism.’ During the trial, Llamazares’ party colleague, Pedro Rueda, deputy in the Asturian parliament of the PP and president of the party in Avilés, declared that he did not participate in the writing of the press release and that he considered that the expression of ‘cronyism’ It was not correct.
The sentence and the measures imposed
The court sentenced Llamazares to pay compensation of 6,000 euros for the moral damages caused to the plaintiff and ordered the publication of the full text of the ruling in several media outlets. In addition, the costs of the process were imposed on the defendant. Llamazares has the possibility of filing an appeal against the resolution within a period of twenty days.
Political reactions and request for resignation
After hearing the sentence, the municipal socialist group of Avilés demanded the resignation of Llamazares and urged her to act in the same way as she would if the convicted person were a member of the Local Government. The general secretary of the PSOE of Avilés, Luis Fernández Huerga, stated that Llamazares had intentionally lied to discredit the manager of the Tourism Association of the Avilés Region and the tourist entity itself.
Possibility of appeal and silence of the Popular Party of Asturias
Llamazares has the option of filing an appeal against the sentence within a period of twenty days, and is currently considering this possibility. For its part, the Popular Party of Asturias has declined to make statements about the sentence.
