Lawyers representing Eva Kaili have urged the European Parliament to investigate whether her parliamentary immunity was violated amid the Qatargate cash-for-influence scandal. In an interview with Euronews, Christophe Marchand and Sven Mary disclosed that they had formally requested a hearing before the parliament's legal affairs (JURI) committee to present evidence of what they allege to be a breach of the Greek MEP's right to parliamentary protection.
Their objective is to demonstrate that if the parliament deems her arrest to have contravened the institution's immunity rules—designed to shield lawmakers from arbitrary political persecution—it would bolster their legal stance in the Belgian courts. Marchand explained, "The parliamentary protection of Eva Kaili was not respected, and for that, there are consequences. One consequence is that she cannot be prosecuted for that."
The corruption scandal implicated Kaili and other parliament figures in accepting substantial sums from Qatari and Moroccan officials to influence European Parliament decisions. The scandal reverberated through Brussels, prompting the parliament to tighten regulations on staff conduct. Both implicated countries vehemently denied the allegations.
Kaili was arrested in December on charges including corruption and money laundering, triggering an immediate suspension of her parliamentary immunity. Subsequently, she was ousted from her role as one of the European Parliament's vice presidents, and her party membership was suspended.
Insisting on Kaili's innocence, her legal team contends that her arrest and previous investigations by the Belgian prosecutor and the secret services of various EU countries constitute an "attack on the heart of democracy in the EU." Marchand asserted, "You had misbehavior from the Belgian justice system, not respecting the court system, attacking the functioning of the European Parliament... The Parliament has to be aware of that and then take the right decisions."
The lawyers said their request for a hearing, submitted already to the Bureau of the Parliament and the JURI committee, was a personal plea on President Metsola to "handle" the case before the parliament. A spokesperson for the JURI committee was not immediately available to confirm whether the request for a hearing was under consideration.
