Carlos Mur to Testify Remotely on Madrid's 'Protocol of Shame' in COVID Nursing Home Deaths

Carlos Mur, the former head of mental health at Andorra's Nostra Senyora de Meritxell Hospital and a coordination director in Madrid's regional government during the COVID-19 pandemic, is scheduled to testify remotely on Monday, 26 January, at 10am before Madrid's Investigating Court No. 23.

This marks the fifth judicial summons for Mur in under a year, following four previous instances where he did not appear, citing various reasons. The judge has now approved his request for videoconference testimony from Andorra, where he resides and runs a private psychology practice that limits his ability to travel.

Mur faces charges as one of the signatories of the so-called "protocol of shame," directives issued in March and April 2020 that allegedly prevented hospital transfers for thousands of elderly residents in Madrid nursing homes. The investigation, sparked by a complaint from a relative of a victim at the Amavir Valdebernardo facility in Madrid, probes these guidelines, which contributed to the deaths of 7,291 seniors in residences without hospital access during that period.

In earlier testimony in the same case, Francisco Javier Martínez Peromingo—another former coordination director and viewed as the main architect of the protocols—pointed to Mur as responsible for discriminatory elements in the instructions.

Mur recently stated to media outlets that he is available to Spanish justice but had not received the prior summons notices. Victims' families and associations hope his appearance will provide his version of events and shed light on geriatric care management during the crisis's peak. This will be his first opportunity to address the court directly.