Los afectados por la suspensión de la 'ley de nietos' apuran los días para presentar alegaciones al Supremo

The Supreme Court has set a deadline this upcoming week for individuals affected by the suspension of the voting rights law for naturalized citizens to file claims, following the rejection of the government's request to lift the precautionary measure. After the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez declined the request, the Supreme Court assigned affected individuals the opportunity to submit claims within five business days of the court's decision, published in the Official State Bulletin (BOE), beginning this Friday and concluding by next week.

The Contention-Law Division of the high court included a call for interested parties to join as co-defendants in their actions. To mitigate potential damages, it is necessary to initiate the legal proceedings before the incidental procedures close, allowing affected parties to defend their legitimate rights and interests and request the revocation of those measures through legal remedies.

This avenue of claims was the only available option for those opposing the suspension, as the government, which claimed it would study the possibility of appealing to the Constitutional Court, entrusted the matter to the affected individuals, who were deemed the rightful claimants. However, the Office of the People's Advocate, Angel Gabilondo, submitted a plea for precautionary measures before the Constitutional Court, following numerous petitions from private individuals and entities, seeking to exercise their right to vote in the general elections.

The law governing the Constitutional Court stipulates that the Office of the People's Advocate and the Defender of the People, dependent on the Executive branch, can appeal to the highest court when they deem there has been a violation of rights and freedoms originating directly from a judicial act or omission. For these elections, the Supreme Court indicated that the suspension of voting rights impacted 163,020 individuals who obtained Spanish nationality through the "Law of Nieces" and were registered in the electoral roll as of August 1st, a valid date for the general elections.

The Electoral Office has already compiled data on over 70,000 Spaniards who received nationality through this law and are affected by the court's decision to suspend their voting rights. So far, the Supreme Court has recorded that Cuban Associations for Democracy and Spanish Ascendants Worldwide have requested participation in the proceedings, which the Iustitia Europa party, along with Vox, opposed due to a lack of legitimacy.

The lawyer Eduardo Ranz submitted claims on behalf of the Center of Descendants of Spaniards United, a key player in recognizing Spanish nationality for children and grandchildren of emigrants, after 12 years of various parliamentary procedures and ultimately enshrined in the Law of Democratic Memory. This organization expressed gratitude for the attorneys, part of Jos� Antonio Mart�n Pall�n's team, former magistrate of the Supreme Court, and their altruism in defending the rights of all Spaniards, including those residing abroad.

They hoped that with this significant step, justice would be served, preventing "double votes" and sharing the association's spirit, which has tirelessly worked for decades to secure Spanish nationality for its members, both resident and non-resident, through free legal assistance and advice.