Iñaki Urdangarin, the husband of Princess Cristina, has asked the Supreme Court to acquit him. He was handed a sentence of six years and three months for various crimes related to his former business, the Instituto Nóos; this sentence has been appealed to the Supreme Court.
Urdangarin maintains that he was only a mediator with sporting and institutional contacts in developing a sports tourism forum in the Balearics and sponsoring what was hoped would be the best cycling team in the world. He did not, he claims, have any knowledge of administrative law.
The appeal being considered by the Supreme Court says that he acted in believing that everything was done correctly and legally. His former partner in Nóos, Diego Torres, was responsible for contracts. The sentence handed to him is, therefore, based on "illogical and absurd grounds and lacks the necessary legal soundness".
Torres, who is appealing against his sentence, states that all activities at Nóos were supervised by the Royal Household, to the point that it controlled what was done.
While Urdangarin is asking for an acquittal, the prosecution service is wanting the Supreme Court to increase his sentence.