Spain King's Brother-in-Law to Stay Free while Mulling Appeal, Says Court

The brother-in-law of Spain's king, who was handed six years and three months jail for siphoning off millions, will remain free and not be required to post bail as he prepares to appeal his sentence, a court said Thursday.

The decision by a court in Palma de Majorca came in response to a request from prosecutors that Inaki Urdangarin be allowed to remain temporarily free if he pays bail of 200,000 euros ($211,000), rather than go straight to prison.

The Balearic Islands court also said that Urdangarin, who is married to Spain's Princess Cristina, could stay in Switzerland where he currently lives until all possible appeals are exhausted.

The news is likely to make waves in Spain, where the corruption scandal involving Urdangarin sparked outrage at a time when the country was going through a devastating crisis, becoming a symbol of the elite's perceived corruption.

Cristina was also accused of involvement in the scandal over her husband's business dealings while he was head of the Noos Institute, a not-for-profit sports foundation, on suspicion of helping him evade taxes.

But on Friday, following a long-running and high-profile trial, Cristina was acquitted while her husband was sentenced to jail. 

The fact that both stood trial was seen as unprecedented in a country that had long protected its elites.