The Tweets That Landed Spanish Rapper Pablo Hasel In Jail
Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published February 19, 2021 | 11:20 PM
Madrid, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Feb, 2021 ) :Spanish rapper Pablo Hasel was imprisoned this week over tweets praising convicted terrorists, although he was also sanctioned for accusing the police of torture and the Crown of corruption.
Since his jailing on Tuesday, Spain has seen nightly demonstrations which have deteriorated into running battles between police and protesters.
At issue are more than 60 tweets published between 2014 and 2016 for which he was given a nine-month prison sentence for "glorification of terrorism" that was handed down in 2018.
He was also fined some 25,000 Euros ($30,000) for insults, libel and slander for tweets likening former king Juan Carlos I to a mafia boss and accusing police of torturing and killing demonstrators and migrants.
- GRAPO and ETA - "Demonstrations are necessary but not enough, we must support those who go further," read one of his tweets, while another said he was "proud of those who reacted to police aggression".
On his Twitter account, the rapper paid homage to armed Spanish groups like GRAPO, a Marxist "anti-fascist resistance" organisation accused of around 1,000 acts of violence between 1975 and 2003, including 80 murders and attempted murders, and various kidnappings.
At the time, his Twitter account had more than 54,000 followers.
In one, he referred to a GRAPO militant shot dead by police in 1982, saying he was "murdered by the police for defending our rights".
Hasel's tweets earned him a two-year jail sentence in 2014 for glorifying terrorism.
But he did not spend time behind bars because Spanish law says anyone receiving a jail term of up to two years on a first offence automatically has their sentence suspended.
Hasel also tweeted about members of the now-defunct Basque separatist organisation ETA which during four decades of violence killed at least 853 people in a campaign of car bombings and shootings.
- 'Police Nazis' Writing on Twitter, Pablo Hasel frequently accuses the Spanish security forces of torture and murder, using the term "Nazional Police" -- a fusion of "national" and "Nazi".
"50 police wounded? These fucking mercenaries bite their tongues while beating up people then claim that they are injured," he tweeted in 2014.
"The Guardia Civil torturing and shooting migrants? That's democracy. Jokes about fascists? That's an apology for terrorism," he wrote in another.
- 'Death to the Bourbons' - Another favourite target is the Spanish Crown.
For his most recent prison sentence, the judges flagged one of his songs called "Juan Carlos el Bobon" -- or "Juan Carlos the idiot" -- a play on the Bourbon lineage of the former king who served as monarch between 1975 to 2014.
Hasel also accuses the royal family of corruption and incest, suggesting "the guillotine" for one of the former monarch's daughters. He also released a song called "Death to the Bourbons," although it was not flagged by the court.
The rapper has also referred to the Spanish royal family as "fascists", and described Juan Carlos as "a mafia boss" for his ties to the Saudi royals.
And he has described Spain's current king, Felipe VI, as "a parasite".
Related Topics
Recent Stories
Hajj season begins: Karachi Airport Set for Inaugural Flight
IHC orders Jail officials to shift Bushra Bibi to Adiala Jail from Bani Gala
Projects of worth $25b being implemented in Pakistan under CPEC framework: Ahsan
Saudi investors evince special interest in diverse fields
Currency Rate In Pakistan - Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal Rates On 8 May 2024
Today Gold Rate in Pakistan 08 May 2024
Delegation of international investors meets Finance Minister
Federal Govt stands with Balochistan for its development: Naqvi
UAE President receives condolences of Prime Minister of Pakistan over passing of ..
ECC approves to enhance wheat procurement targets
UN urges Israel to 'stop escalation' as tanks enter Gaza's Rafah city
EU stumps up $125 mn for Yemen after aid groups' plea
More Stories From Miscellaneous
-
Concerted efforts urged to ease traffic flow on city roads
3 days ago -
Land degradation: A threat to food security
3 days ago -
Revamping health sector, a gigantic task ahead
3 days ago -
American band promotes intercultural harmony thru music fusions
4 days ago -
Waste Management – A persistent challenge for MWMC
5 days ago -
Experts for ending child labour
7 days ago
-
Labour Day - A reminder for better facilities to workers
7 days ago -
Stage Drama Mohabati Manhoon presents in Arts council Larkana
10 days ago -
Wheat farmers in a fix on price, procurement mechanism
10 days ago -
Modern tools to help transform crime investigation procedures
10 days ago -
Sanam Marvi captivates audience with mesmerizing performance
11 days ago -
Modern Education Techniques: A pathway to achieve economic development
12 days ago