The Supreme Court has dismissed the appeal of Marbella's mayor, Ángeles Muñoz, against elDiario.es, confirming that the eleven news articles about the Swedish plot were true and of general interest.
The Supreme Court has put an end to the legal battle initiated by Marbella's mayor, Ángeles Muñoz, against elDiario.es. The High Court has dismissed the appeal for cassation filed by the mayor, thus affirming that the eleven reports published since 2022 about the Swedish plot were "true" and "scrupulously verified." The decision is final and closes all legal avenues for Muñoz, who was seeking €50,000 for damages to her honour.
A long judicial journey that ends at the Supreme Court
It all began in 2024, when the Court of First Instance number 8 in Marbella dismissed Muñoz's lawsuit. The judge considered that the news had "public interest" and had been verified prior to publication. The mayor appealed, but the Provincial Court of Málaga again ruled in favour of elDiario.es in February 2026, ordering Muñoz to pay the costs.
Now, the Supreme Court has gone a step further. According to the ruling, the Provincial Court concluded that the mayor's right to honour "falls in favour of the freedom of information, given that we are dealing with true news, based on identified reliable sources and subject to verification." Furthermore, the Supreme Court highlights that the information was published "without any crime being attributed to the claimant and without using degrading or humiliating terms."
The origin of the scandal: the Swedish plot
On October 24, 2022, elDiario.es revealed that Muñoz's husband, Lars Broberg, and his stepson, Joakim Broberg, were to be tried for belonging to a criminal organisation, drug trafficking, and money laundering. The news caused a significant media uproar, as Muñoz was then the mayor and a senator. The case dates back to February 2021, when the police arrested Lars Broberg in an operation that was the seed of it all. Subsequently, Joakim Broberg was arrested in Brazil and extradited to Spain, being sentenced to nine years in prison.
The newspaper marbella24horas echoed this information, prompting the PP to order the withdrawal of institutional advertising from Acosol, a company of the Western Costa del Sol Commonwealth. Despite the pressures, the digital outlet maintained its commitment to the truth of the facts, now confirmed by the judiciary.
A precedent for press freedom in Marbella
The Supreme Court's ruling reinforces the protection of freedom of information in cases of public interest. For the residents of Marbella, this ruling represents support for journalistic work that investigates the links between local politics and drug trafficking. The Swedish plot has tarnished the City Council for years, and now the judiciary makes it clear that reporting on it is not an attack on honour, but a legitimate exercise of the right to information.
Muñoz, who remains at the helm of the City Council, has seen her judicial strategy completely crumble. The costs ruling from the Provincial Court was already a blow, but the Supreme Court's dismissal closes the door to any further claims.
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